


the cowboy rules

by bitterbeets (ginnydear)



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Cowboy AU, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Kid Fic, M/M, Multi, Wild West AU, this is very Tommy centric in that it's his journey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2020-09-06 14:14:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20292799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnydear/pseuds/bitterbeets
Summary: 1. be rootin.2. be tootin.3. and by god be shootin.and most importantly4. be kind.aka ot3 in the wild west.





	1. wild west

**Author's Note:**

> shoutout to mckayla and the server for helping me create this and being so excited for it. you're all asleep but i'm here to post it anyway. i might, someday, add more to this, but for now. 
> 
> and, as always, keep it secret. this is a piece of fiction.

i. 

By the time they get to the Crooked Saloon, they’ve already heard about the new guy in town. Word tends to travel fast when there’s barely enough people to fill a church in an outpost. 

“Do you reckon he’s actually from the big city?” Lovett asks as he and Jon dismount their horses, tying them up to the building. Jon fiddles with their packs for a moment, making sure they’re tightly secured, before he follows Lovett inside. 

“See for yourself,” Jon says quietly, inclining his head to where the new guy sticks out like a sore thumb. He’s wearing a crisp top, far too fitted for the fields, and shoes that have barely a speck of dust on them. His blonde hair is still blond, not the dusty color that all the blondes in town tend to become. 

Everyone seems to be ignoring him, wary of someone who looks far removed from their lifestyle. Naturally, Lovett walks right over. 

“Hi,” Lovett starts before Jon’s even moved to follow. “You’re not from around here, huh?”

The man shifts in his seat, fingers poised around a sweating glass of water. Jon’s pretty sure the man is almost sweating more. By the time Jon’s at the table, the man starts to answer. 

“Uh,” he stammers, his voice thick with an accent that sound vaguely familiar. Lovett’s sure to know. “No, not really.”

“Hmm,” Lovett hums, placing his chin in his hand. Jon sits down and smiles at the man. 

“I’m Jon,” he holds out his hand, which the stranger takes. “And this is Jon.”

“Uh,” the stranger starts again, but Lovett jumps in. 

“Most people call us Favs,” he jabs his thumb towards Jon, “and Lovett. If we’re good friends, you can call me Lo.”

“Oh… okay. I’m Thomas Vietor the Fourth,” the man says, and Lovett laughs. 

“Lo,” Jon warns lowly, and Lovett shakes his head. 

“Sorry, that was awfully formal,” he says as Thomas Vietor the Fourth starts to blush. Even his ears turn a variable shade of pink. Jon catches Lovett looking him over and kicks his shin. Lovett doesn’t blink. 

“People call me Tommy,” Tommy offers, and Lovett smiles. 

“Well, Tommy, welcome to the Wild West. Where’re you from?”

“Boston, Massachusetts,” Tommy says with a slight smile, picking up his glass finally and taking a swig. When he sets it back on the table, he sits up straight again, shoulders parallel to the floor. Lovett brings his left foot up and places his heel on his chair. 

“I knew that had to be a Yankee accent,” Lovett says, but he’s smiling. Jon shakes his head as Tommy looks between them, offering what he hopes is a welcoming smile. 

“What brings you to these parts?” Jon asks, ignoring the way Lovett fidgets in his seat. Jon’s long since become accustomed to Lovett’s fidgeting. 

“Oh, you know. Manifest destiny, fresh air, see what the land has to offer,” Tommy says vaguely, waving his free hand around as he talks. “See what I can find.”

“Do you even have a horse?”

“Lovett,” Jon says, trying hard not to laugh. Tommy goes red again, and Jon holds up his hands. “What’s rule four?”

“Favs-”

“If you say fuck the rules one more time,” Jon starts, and Lovett glares at him. Tommy, still red in the face, stares at them in what Jon can only access as abject fear. 

“Sorry,” Lovett says to Tommy, one hand on his chest. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, do you have a place to stay, provisions, any sort of tack or supplies? There aren’t many places to stay in these parts.”

“Oh, um, I don’t have a horse, to answer your first question,” Tommy directs at Lovett, who looks at Jon like he just won an argument. Jon pointedly ignores him and keeps his eyes on Tommy. “I don’t… have much of anything. A few changes of clothes in my pack. A book to read when I was bored on the train. Some money.”

“Money’s good, money is good.” Jon nods his head, and Tommy laughs softly. 

“Look,” Lovett starts, though he’s softer now. Jon’s sure he’s about to embody rule four. “How about you stick with us, okay? People… they ain’t too kind in these parts, at times. Especially to outsiders, and especially to city folk. You can some stick with us for awhile.”

Tommy looks between them for a moment, lips pursed. He fiddles with the glass on the table some more, his other arm dropping down beside him. Jon watches as his muscles flex, and he realizes that’s where Tommy’s pack is. Slowly, Tommy’s face clears and he begins to nod. 

“If it’s not too much a bother, otherwise-”

“No, not a bother at all. It’s better to travel in packs out in the wild,” Lovett says, and Jon covers his face with his hand. 

“Scare him back to Boston, why don’t you,” Jon mumbles, looking up when Tommy nods. 

“I’m not going back to Boston.” He straightens his shoulders again, nodding at them. “I would be honored to, as you so put it, stick with you for awhile. And possibly find a horse. And maybe a looser shirt.”

“That’s the spirit!” Lovett cheers, drawing glares from some of the other patrons. Tommy seems to notice, but Lovett shakes his head, pulling Tommy’s attention back. “Ignore them, some people don’t have a sense of humor.”

“And you do?” Tommy deadpans, sending Jon into a fit of giggles as Lovett glares at Tommy. 

ii. 

Turns out, some things are easier said than done. 

Jon and Tommy are about the same size, so Jon’s able to give Tommy a different shirt to wear for a time while they travel to another town over to a seamstress. 

There’s a man in town who has a boot shop, and Tommy’s able to exchange some money for a decent pair. He stumbles along a bit, unsure of how to handle the spurs, but he takes their word that the spurs are necessary. 

Tommy already has a revolver, a newer model than both Jon and Lovett have. He has plenty of ammunition and confesses to hoping he doesn’t have to use it. Lovett, known towns over for being more of a pacifist, looks as though he’s accepted Tommy there on the spot. 

It’s when they get Tommy up on a horse that they run into problems. 

They put him on Jon’s horse, an older Morgan gelding that Jon named Scout as a colt. Lovett’s gelding is more high spirited, a beautiful Appaloosa named Stardust with spots on its hindquarters. Scout had walked right up to say hello when Tommy first met the horses, while Stardust stayed back. They’d taken that as a sign. 

Unfortunately, Tommy’s good rapport with Scout stops there. 

“I’ve never been in a saddle before,” Tommy says as Jon makes sure the billet straps are in place, and the stirrups are are solid. Stardust is tied off to a nearby tree, unconcerned with whatever they’re doing. Lovett is holding Scouts lead, scratching the spot Scout loves up near his forelock. 

“Okay,” Jon says, taking a deep breath. “It’s going to feel weird because I’ve broken it in over the years, so you might not feel completely comfortable. Find a place to settle and don’t wiggle too much, it’ll make the horses anxious. Your feet go in these loops, called stirrups. You want the stirrup to hit the heel of your boot, but keep your ankles down. If Scout does spook and start to run, you’ll want to be able to get your feet out.”

Tommy’s pale again, something they’ve realized happens when he’s anxious. Lovett widens his eyes at Jon. 

“We aren’t going to give you the reigns just yet, so don’t worry about that. When you get up, hold onto the horn, that’s the piece sticking up here,” Jon says, gesturing to the horn. “It’s a good place to rest your hand, for now. When you’re actually riding, you’ll want to have a hand on the horn but also hold onto some of the horses mane, because if the saddles starts to go, you don’t want to fall with it.”

“Oh-okay…” Tommy says, still staring at the horn. 

“It’s a lot, we know,” Lovett interjects, voice friendly and light. “But it’ll come easily. And Scout’s a good boy, aren’t you buddy?”

Scout nickers, shaking his head a bit. Jon smiles. 

“That’s a good sound,” he says. Tommy nods. 

“Come around here, and I’ll help you up.”

Jon bends down, fingers linked together. Tommy looks at him like he’s crazy, but they showed Tommy multiple times how to mount a horse. Lovett even explained in detail as Jon held his foot, sweating profusely under the western sun. 

“So I just, put my foot in your hands,” Tommy says, and Jon nods. 

“Jon’ll count to three for you, and when he does, swing your leg up and over the hose. He’s going to shift a bit, so grab something. Preferably his mane for now, so I can help you get settled in the saddle,” Lovett explains again, reaching to rustle some of Scouts mane. 

“He’ll know you’re about to get on though and he’s good about it,” Jon says, smiling at his horse. Tommy nods. 

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Lovett repeats as Tommy gets in position. “Put one hand on the horse and one on Jon’s shoulder, yeah.”

Tommy follows his lead, settling his foot in Jon’s grasp. 

“Ready?” Jon asks, and Tommy nods. “Alright. One…. two….. Three!”

Jon lifts as Tommy pushes off him, swinging his leg up and over the saddle. Scout only shifts his weight a bit as Tommy grapples into the saddle, hands tight in Scouts mane. Jon stands up quickly and places a hand on Scout’s flank, steadying him. 

“You got it?” Lovett asks, giving Scout a bit more lead to come check on Tommy. Jon watches as Lovett reaches up and gently taps Tommy’s hand, gesturing for him to grab the horn. 

“If you hold, like this,” Lovett says softly as he loops a bit of mane into Tommy’s hand, and then closes the hand around the horn. “You’ll be more secure.”

“Right,” Tommy replies, looking down as he tries to find each stirrup. Jon holds his stirrup out, and he’s sure Lovett does the same. 

“How have you never been on a horse?” Lovett asks as they get Tommy settled, Scout dropping his head to chew on the grass at his feet. Tommy sighs. 

“Well,” he starts, giving them the thumbs up as they stop fretting with him. Lovett takes the lead and starts to walk slowly, bringing Scout and Tommy with him like they’d planned. “I wasn’t… a healthy child. I was sickly for most of my youth, and I missed out on learning. By the time I wasn’t sick anymore and strong enough to learn, my parents had men who pulled carriages for me. And at school, I didn’t need to know since everything I needed was in one place.”

Lovett walks in a wide loop, keeping the pace slow enough that Scout barely lifts his head. Stardust watches from his tree, now enjoying a good scratch from Jon. 

“I’ve always wanted to learn,” Tommy says as they loop closer to Jon. “I’ve been terribly anxious about it, though.”

“I think you’re doing great,” Lovett says with a smile. 

Turns out, he really isn’t. 

When they finally feel he’s ready to take the reins on his own, Scout isn’t having it and spooks. Tommy hits the ground, hard, as Jon runs after Scout. Lovett runs over to where Tommy’s flat on the ground, hands over his face. 

“Tommy, Tommy! Are you okay? What hurts?” Lovett asks, not sure where to put his hands. He settles for pulling Tommy’s hands away from his face, and he frowns when he finds that Tommy’s smiling. 

“My pride. That hurts the most,” he says, and Lovett smiles at him. 

“That’s the spirit! The spirit is also to get right back up on the horse after falling off,” Lovett says, to which Tommy shakes his head. 

“I don’t think my ass can take that,” he mumbles as Lovett helps him up. Lovett snorts, shaking his head. 

“There it is,” he says as Jon manages to catch Scout. 

iii. 

Jon and Lovett have a job a couple miles away they have to get to, will take a full day of horseback travel to get there, so they have to find Tommy a horse regardless of if he can ride or not. 

An older gentleman in town ends up coming to their aide by offering Tommy one of his horses, a mare quarter horse with a gray coat. The old man had named her Silver, but as Tommy stood in the corral petting her, he’d decided on changing that. 

“Sunny?” Lovett asks, head tilted as Tommy feeds the horse a few treats. Jon smiles at the name. 

“Yeah, Sunny. She has a happy attitude,” Tommy says with a smile. 

Tommy’s still not ready to ride on his own, so they attach Sunny to a lead, and the lead to Scout. It’s the only way to travel until after their job is over and Tommy can practice in the corral at the ranch they’re headed to. 

They ride until it’s dark out, the sky clear and filled with more stars than Tommy’s ever seen. As Jon and Lovett set up camp, Tommy stands next to Sunny and stares up at the heavens. 

“Doesn’t Boston have a sky?” Lovett asks as he gets the fire roaring, the fire playing colors across his face. Tommy stares at him for a moment before he shifts away from his horse, walking over to where the fire is. 

“There’s buildings and street lights back home. The sky looks nothing like this; you can see for miles out here,” Tommy says as he sits on a log Lovett has dragged over. 

Lovett asks Tommy about Boston as they sit and eat, Jon butting in occasionally. As the fire starts to die, they move from geographical curiosities and food related questions to Tommy feeling brave enough to ask them questions. He quizzes them about how they make money, and what they do to bathe. He doesn’t look the happiest that he’s going to be going to the bathroom outside for an indeterminate future, but it’s what he has to do. 

Tommy had pitched his tent next to one of the wide trees around the clearing. Somewhere in the thicket, there’s a crick that’s flowing just fast enough to make noise in the night. He can hear it as he wraps his extra blanket around his shoulders. Lovett had helped him get his bedroll in order, setting it up so he would be as comfortable as possible. 

Even with the extra blanket, Tommy wakes up sometime in the night to warm hands shaking his shoulders. His teeth are clattering, body shaking, and as he becomes aware of his surroundings, he realizes Lovett and Jon are in his tent. 

“Tommy, you’re freezing. We can hear your teeth across the camp,” Jon says gently, laying down next to Tommy on the ground. Lovett’s already laying in front of him, small warm hands on Tommy’s cold cheeks. Jon curls up behind him, warm body pressing against Tommy’s back, and he feels himself shake for an entirely different reason. 

“Sorry,” Tommy stammers, but he feels Jon shake his head. 

“We didn’t think - it gets so cold out here at night. We all should be in one tent; even on our own rolls, the tent will hold the warmth of the three of us. Now you’re cold and we gotta warm you up,” Jon says softly, softly rubbing Tommy’s side. The reality of how cold he is actually doesn't set in until Jon’s hand accidentally pushes up his shirt and he feels the difference in their temperatures. 

They’re quiet as they lay there, Lovett pushed right up into Tommy’s chest, hands still gentle on Tommy’s neck. Jon seems to drift off after only a few minutes, but Tommy can open his eyes and find Lovett’s in the dark. The moon’s only half full, but the stars are bright through the tent, and Tommy can see the waning concern in Lovett’s eyes. 

“You think I’m foolish, don’t you, for coming here so unprepared,” Tommy says, a rhetorical statement. Lovett replies anyway. 

“Foolish is not the word I would use,” he whispers, hands sliding off Tommy’s neck. Wiggling his ears, Tommy sighs at the feeling returning to his cheeks. Lovett closes his eyes, and that’s when Tommy feels brave enough to ask. 

“You and Jon only have one bedroll.”

If they were standing apart, Tommy would not have been able to notice the small jolt that goes through Lovett at that. But, seeing as they’re pressed together tight, he feels it acutely. 

“We do,” Lovett says, eyes still closed. Tommy hums quietly, consciously relaxing his body, his nose pressing against the front of Lovett’s wild curls. He falls asleep like that.

iv. 

Tommy’s not allowed to help with the cattle corralling, but he wants to learn, so he spends the two hours before the men come back with the cows practicing riding in one of the pens. The matron of the ranch, a graying woman named Betsy, stands outside of the fence giving him tips until he’s trotting around the enclosure with ease. 

“You wanna try her at a full gallop?” she yells at him and Tommy sputters, shaking his head. Pulling in the reins, Sunny slows to a stop next to Betsy, who reaches through the fence to pet the mare. 

“No, I think an even trot is enough for now. It’ll at least be enough to not have to use the lead,” Tommy says with a smile, dismounting. He’s still a little clumsy, landing awkwardly, but Betsy simply hums. 

“You know, Favreau and Lovett were somewhat hostile with the other men who wanted to make fun of you about that. They’re great boys, they are. Known ‘em most of their lives. You lucked out running into them out here,” Betsy says sincerely, inclining her head slightly. It’s almost like she’s speaking in code, trying to make Tommy understand, and he nods at her. 

“Yes ma’am, they’re the kindest people I’ve met out here,” he replies. It seems to be what she wants to hear, because she leaves him be after that. 

Tommy watches the men bring the cows in from outside the fence, jaw open in awe at how the seven of them work to get the herd in. He understands why it took two hours for them to gather all of the cows as they pour onto the ranch, a stampede of dust and hooves. 

Tommy finds himself watching Jon and Lovett, both working at the back of the herd. Each has a single hand on the reins, their other holding their ropes. Tommy watches Jon as he and Scout twist back to catch a cow that’s trying to break away from the pack. Lovett fills in the space he left, crossing his body with the rope to get the last of the cows into the fence. 

“Someday,” Betsy says, scaring Tommy out of his concentration, “you’ll be a good enough rider to help us with this. Favreau and Lovett help us get the herd down every year.”

“They’re really good,” Tommy says, trying to be less obvious about where his eyes are glued to the sweat causing Lovett’s shirt to stick to his back. Both of their hats are still firm on their heads, but they lift them off when someone passes them a canteen. Tommy watches, throat tightening, as Jon, then Lovett, pour water over their heads. 

“Like I said, known ‘em their whole lives. Favreau used to be skittish about actually hitting the cows with the rope, and Lovett’s always horrible to get up in the morning but by noon he’s more excited than anyone to be out there rounding them cows up. They help all the families out here,” Betsy explains in her slow drawl, reaching up to pat Tommy on the shoulder. Then, as quietly as she walked up to him, she walks away. 

Tommy looks back out at the now full field of cattle, still moving and braying as they settle. The men who took part in the round up are all dismounting their horses near the farm house, but Jon and Lovett come over to where Tommy’s leaning against the fence of the small corral he’d been practicing in. 

“I feel like I could climb that pole there,” Lovett’s saying as they get close, both dismounting as they reach Tommy. 

“You always say that, but you never follow through,” Jon says, tying Scout to the fence. He immediately starts untacking him, as Lovett does to Stardust. 

“Maybe this will be my year,” Lovett says to Jon, before looking over his shoulder at Tommy. His eyes pinch and Tommy realizes he’s been staring with his mouth slightly open. 

“Have fun?” he croaks, prompting Jon and Lovett to launch into a detailed description of their day as they untack. 

v. 

They’re heading out in the morning to the next ranch Jon and Lovett are scheduled to help, so they set up camp near the river. Tommy rides Sunny on his own, a feat that gets him two excited hugs and jubilant smiles. 

“Tommy?” Lovett asks after camp is set up, chin in his hand. Tommy looks over at him, chewing on his jerky slowly. “Have you bathed since arriving here?”

“Uh, no,” Tommy says, shaking his head. Lovett nods. 

“Well, that’s what we’re using the river for. It’s wide and pooled here so we can float easily, and it’s deep up to our necks. We have some soap from Betsy if you want to join,” Lovett says easily, waving a bar of soap at Tommy. 

“Oh, wonderful,” Tommy says, nodding. Lovett nods back before standing and heading towards the river. Jon watches him for a moment before looking at Tommy. 

“Did you have fun today? I know it’s not as much fun to watch…” Jon trails off, but Tommy shakes his head. 

“No, actually, it was a productive day. I’m sure by next year, I’ll be up there with you guys,” Tommy says, not realizing what he’s saying until it’s out. Jon’s face lights up, that bright happy smile Tommy’s growing weak to. 

“That’s… great! I’m glad, really,” Jon says before standing up and also heading towards the river. As he goes, he sheds his shirt, and Tommy’s eyes widen, head snapping to look at the firepit Lovett had created. 

He waits a while before joining them, walking down the slope slowly. He can hear them laughing and splashing before he sees them, chest deep in the water near a tree trunk. They either don’t see him or give him space as he strips down, folding his clothes neatly next to theirs. Jon’s is in a small pile, socks on top. Lovett’s is all unfolded and spread like he left them where he kicked them off. 

The water’s moving just enough to be on the cooler side, and he quickly sinks into it. He sighs happily at the temperature, the first relief from the heat all day. He closes his eyes and holds himself to one spot. The water’s quiet, as is most of the wide open West. 

“Tommy?” Jon says softly, still a bit away. Opening one eye, Tommy looks to where they’re standing. Lovett’s holding the soap and running it over his chest in slow motions, while Jon’s hair is wet and sticking to his head. “Y’alright?”

Tommy looks up into the trees, then out to where their horses are tied, the tent’s are pitched. The sky’s bright blue, the sun heading towards the horizon. 

“Yeah,” he says, moving closer to them. He holds out his hand and Lovett hands him the soap with a smile. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

“What did Betsy talk your ear off about today?” Jon asks, moving his wet hair into weird positions. He makes it stick straight out from his head, making Lovett giggle softly. He dunks himself under the water, and when he comes up, his curls are plastered to his head. 

“She told me that you two were very quick to defend me against the other guys for having to be on a lead,” Tommy says, throat tightening again as Jon reaches over and brushes the curls off Lovett’s head. 

“Bob’s a bastard, forgets that he once had to ride on the back of Stardust because his horse spooked,” Jon says, gesturing for the soap back. Tommy hands it back and submerges deeper into the water, scrubbing the soap off his chest with his hands. 

“Yeah, and Jerry’s generally an ass,” Jon says, wetting his hair again. “They had no reason to try to be anything other than kind to you.”

“That’s one of Jon’s cowboy rules he makes us follow,” Lovett says, sounding exasperated. He’s smiling though, eyes sparkling as he looks at Jon. “He made them up when we were just kids.”

“Cowboys rules?” Tommy asks, laughing a little. Jon looks offended, but he quickly smiles. Lovett gets some soap in his hair, then passes the soap to Jon. 

“It was a joke, really. We went off before we were eighteen to be cowboys, so one night we might’ve had some hooch and made up some rules,” Jon begins, Lovett jumping in easily. 

“They are as follows. One, be rootin.”

“Two, be tootin.”

“Three, always be shootin. Except we try to stay away from gunfights,” Lovett says sheepishly. 

“And four, above all else, be kind.” Jon grins. “That one was the most serious of the rules.”

“Jon makes me live it every day. S’never forced me into a gunfight, but he’ll beat me kind,” Lovett jokes with a smile, ignoring how disgruntled Jon looks at the idea that he’d beat anyone. 

“You’re serious?” Tommy asks. 

“Well, the rootin and the tootin mean pretty much anything-”

“When you eat as much beans as we do-”

“But,” Jon speaks over Lovett, glaring at him. They both giggle after a moment, Jon reaching out to poke Lovett’s side. “We live by ‘em.”

“What do you do in winter? Where do you go?” Tommy asks, taking the soap again. 

“We spend the coldest months closer to home, in a little cabin we built on my parents property in Wyoming, down near the New Mexico Territory,” Jon explains. “My parents farm the land down there, and they do well with the winter crop. We help them do deliveries and such.”

“We have one last cattle round up before we head down there, and then as soon as the ground starts to thaw, we’re traveling again,” Lovett adds, leaning back against the petrified tree. Tommy watches him move, his eyes slipping down to the dark hair on his chest before he looks back at Jon. 

“Are… and your offer to stick with you… does that extend that long?” Tommy asks, dunking his head under water to get his hair wet. When he comes back up, Jon and Lovett are smiling at him. 

“S’long as you’re okay with,” Lovett starts, but Jon speaks over him. 

“Following the rules,” he says, though he reaches out and grips Lovett’s hand. The tightness is back in Tommy’s throat, and he smiles. 

“I’m a pacifist myself,” he says, making them laugh. He steps a little closer, and he feels Lovett’s hand find his in the water. He squeezes, their fingers slotting together. Jon pulls him in with an easy hand on his waist, hugging him to his side. 

vi. 

“We need a bigger tent,” Lovett says as they settle onto their shoved together bed rolls. Tommy’s smack in the middle, still trying to adjust to sleeping outside in cooler temperatures. He wears a thick undershirt Jon found among his items, as well as a woolen socks Lovett bought him in-between their last two jobs. 

“Betsy offered to stitch us up one,” Jon says, his head already pillowed on Tommy’s shoulder. He’s fiddling with his compass, the one he claims to have broken a month ago but refuses to get rid of. Lovett leans up on his elbow, illuminated by the moonlight. 

“How do we explain we need a tent big enough for the three of us?”

“Betsy’s never judged us,” Jon replies easily, Tommy nodding in agreement. Lovett glares at Tommy, but settles down next to him anyway. While awake, he refrains from much physical touch, but Tommy and Jon know that the second he’s asleep, he’ll be starfished on top of Tommy. 

“Maybe on our way back,” Lovett says, pulling his knit hat over his head. He’d complained enough about cold ears at night that Tommy had learned to knit from a ranchers wife, and made him a hat. 

“Either that or Ma can do it for us,” Jon says, finally putting down his compass. He turns over onto his side, a leg tangling with Tommy’s. He reaches across Tommy’s chest under the blankets and pokes Lovett. 

“What?” Lovett says, still laying on his back. He turns his head and huffs a laugh when he sees Jon and Tommy looking right at him. “You two are so predictable.”

“Are we?” Tommy teases, turning onto his side and into Jon. He hears Lovett snort as Jon giggles, wrapping his arms around Tommy’s torso. He presses a soft kiss to the top of Tommy’s hair. 

“You know I’m not built to be big spoon,” Lovett jokes, and they dissolve into quiet laughter. After a moment, Lovett comes up behind Tommy anyway and tucks his face into the back of his neck. 

“I’m sure there’s another word for what you’re doing,” Tommy says, moving his face out of Jon’s neck. Lovett hooks his head over Tommy’s shoulder, one hand rubbing soothing circles into Tommy’s chest. Jon shrugs his free shoulder. 

“Is it comfortable, or do we need to adjust to go to sleep?” Jon asks, eyes drooping. It was a long day of horse travel, and they all need sleep. 

“No, we definitely need to adjust. I’m not sleeping with Lovett’s knees in my back.”

“Yeah, my knee.”

Tommy elbows Lovett in the stomach, softly, and he rolls onto his back as they both laugh. Jon shakes his head at them, curling into Tommy’s side once more. 

“Children,” he mumbles, closing his eyes as Tommy rubs the back of his head. 

“A merry heart is like medicine,” Lovett says quietly as he settles close to Tommy, but not yet touching him. 

“Then you two must be the healthiest of all,” Jon whispers, already half asleep. He shakes himself though, patting Tommy’s chest to get Lovett’s attention. When he does, he frowns. 

“Oh, alright,” Lovett says, but he smiles. Leaning across Tommy, he presses a gentle kiss to Jon’s lips. “Sleep well, _ acushla.” _ He hovers over Tommy for a moment before kissing him as well, smiling into it as he pulls away. “And you, _ mavourneen.” _

“I’ll never forgive those Irish guys,” Tommy whispers into the dark, but he smiles when Lovett cuddles closer to him. 

“You never answered that one question they asked you,” Lovett breathes, settling when Tommy plays with his curls gently. 

“Which one?”

“If you’d found what you’d been looking for out here when you left Boston.”

Tommy cups his hand around the back of Lovett’s head and brings him close enough to kiss his forehead. He squeezes Jon a little closer. 

“You know I have,” Tommy whispers, and he hears Jon hum happily. Lovett slips a hand up under Tommy’s shirt and rests it in the center of his chest. 

They’re quiet for a beat. Outside, a horse snorts in its sleep. 

“Are-” 

“_Acushla _ is not sleeping well,” Jon grounds out, and Lovett clamps his mouth shut. Tommy turns his head and laughs through his nose into Lovett’s curls. 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Tommy breathes out for only Lovett to hear, and he feels Lovett smile against him as he grows heavy and finally settles for the night. 


	2. homestead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a slice of life on the homestead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should've known i'd come back to this very quickly. it won't leave my brain. 
> 
> this goes out to, again, the server but specifically my girl shell, who deserves some fluff and uh, non-platonic loving time. i hope this makes your heart warm!
> 
> again, please don't share this with anyone mentioned.

i. 

It’s colder in lower Wyoming than Tommy thought possible.   
  
The Favreau’s have a decent piece of property on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. It borders a decent sized crick and a lush forest that Tommy’s sure is beautiful in the warm months. As it is, every bit of ground is frozen and the trees are bare.

The little cabin Jon and Lovett had built was not so little, and kept the heat in well. Tommy has become a master of keeping the house warm, though he still wears his woolen socks and occasionally the fur-lined slippers they’d bought at a traveling market. Winter, Tommy begins to understand, is all about survival.

In the day, Lovett lets Tommy find solace in his little library. It’s a room of stacks upon stacks of books, and though it looks like chaos, Lovett swears he has a system. Tommy frequently finds Lovett sitting between stacks, a pencil behind his ear and his glasses on.

“What are we reading today?” Tommy asks as he finds Lovett near the window, his knit hat pulled down over his curls, and a heavy winter coat covering most of his body. Though Tommy looks much the same, he also has a blanket.

“A book the Willie’s gave me while we were on their ranch,” Lovett says softly, moving to let Tommy sit next to him. He flashes Tommy the cover and Tommy’s eyes widen.

“I have heard of Sigmund Freud,” Tommy says softly, slouching down so he can rest his head on Lovett’s shoulder. Lovett lets him, switching the book to his other hand so he can easily play with Tommy’s hair.

“This is one of his first books translated into English,” Lovett says, setting the book down in his lap and flipping pages. He skims over the chapter titles as Tommy closes his eyes.

“Read to me, please?” Tommy asks, and he hears Lovett hum softly. He’s quiet for a moment, flipping a few more pages, before he starts.

“_The Interpretation of Dreams_, chapter one…”

ii.

The adjustment from sleeping on a bed roll to a real mattress is one that takes a few weeks, but as the months get colder, it becomes much easier. Soon, Tommy fears he’ll be spoiled on the feeling of the mattress, the kind of sleep he’s been getting.

A big, warm mattress is especially wonderful on nights like tonight, when there’s a storm outside that’s battering the windows and pushing cold air inside. They’re all curled up together, only in their long underwear. Tommy, as usual, is right in the middle of the bed, Lovett and Jon lying on either side of him.

Or, well, they were laying beside him.

Lovett is somewhere under the covers, his lips following a meandering path along Tommy’s chest. Every time his lips find a new spot to call home, warmth rushes over Tommy. And if that wasn’t enough to keep him warm, Jon’s lips are on his, soft and ever so gentle. No rush in the world to the kisses.

“Lo,” Jon giggles softly, and Tommy lifts the blanket to see that Lovett’s got a hand on both of them, probably lips too. He comes up from under the blankets and plops down on Tommy’s chest, leaning over to let Jon give him a kiss.

“You’re both so broad,” Lovett says softly, somewhat hazily. He looks blissful, happy, and Tommy pulls him in for a kiss that stays soft, even if Lovett’s preferred method of kissing isn’t.

“How many freckles does he still have?” Jon asks, pushing the blankets down to reveal more of Tommy’s torso. Jon and Lovett start poking the dark freckles, just enough to tickle, and Tommy giggles as he wiggles in their grasp.

“The same as before, I’m sure,” he gasps, trying to stop their insistent hands. It’s no use, as usual, and soon there’s two sets of lips kissing pathways across his skin. Then, as quickly as they come, the lips leave, and Tommy’s eyes grow heavy as he watches Jon smile into the kiss Lovett presses into his lips.

“Always the storms,” Jon says, sounding the dreamiest of them all when Lovett finally lets him breathe. Tommy tugs on their hands and they join him back up on the pillows. Tommy attaches his lips to Jon’s neck, Lovett’s teeth pushing into Tommy’s shoulder, and as the wind continues to howl, they lose themselves in the sheets.

iii.

There’s still snow on the ground, but Tommy refuses to forget how to ride a horse, so he saddles up Sunny and takes her into the corral he’d just cleaned.

She’s excited, Tommy can tell, and he warms her up slowly. She’d shown no aversion to snow, unlike Stardust, who tries his hardest to stay inside. Tommy had found her trying to eat snowflakes one day, much to everyone’s amusement.

Jon’s outside with him, sitting on the corral fence in his winter gear. He’d promised Tommy that he would start to help him train to work the cattle this upcoming spring, even in the snow.

Sunny seems to get what’s going on after a while, and when they let one of the rowdier pigs out into the corral, she takes all of Tommy’s commands and cues to get it back inside. The pig, somewhere between teenage and full grown adult, seems to think it’s a game, which works to Tommy’s advantage.

Jon, from his perch on the fence, calls out tips and tricks to Tommy as he and Sunny work to continually corral the feisty pig. Soon, Jon’s quiet as Tommy works, his mind focused solely on its task. The pig tries to get more creative, so Tommy works Sunny at a different angle. He’s not using a rope yet, still uncertain about only having one hand on the reins, so it’s just Sunny keeping the pig from escaping.

Eventually, the pig tires and gives up, plopping down right inside the barn. Tommy gets Sunny to a halt and she heaves a deep breath, it coming out of her nostrils in big puffs. Tommy hops off her quickly, scratching the spot on her neck she likes the most.

“Good girl, you’re amazing. Best horse there is, huh?” Tommy coos at her, knowing Jon’s done the same to Scout and never judges. Lovett’s the one who laughs when they baby talk the horses. “Let’s get you untacked so you can roll around in the hay, yeah? It’s weird, but we allow it.”

Jon laughs as he walks over, joining Tommy inside the barn to untack Sunny. He grabs one of the mane brushes and works on the knots in her mane while Tommy works.

“You’re doing amazing, Tommy. You might surpass Lovett and I one day,” Jon says, pausing on a big knot to look at Tommy. His cheeks are pink, nose red, but he’s smiling nonetheless, and Tommy feels unbridled affection fill his chest.

“I don’t know, Lovett’s bound to know you said that and work to be even better,” Tommy teases, lifting the blanket off Sunny’s back. She shifts, tail flicking, as Tommy grabs a soft bristle brush.

“The two of you will be competing until you die,” Jon says, absentmindedly as he works on a knot in Sunny’s mane. His tongue is sticking out of his mouth, brow furrowed. Tommy walks around Sunny, keeping a hand on her at all times, and walks up next to Jon.

“Until we die, huh?” he asks softly, and Jon seems to catch up with what he said. His cheeks burn and he nods.

“Or until one of you physically can’t, I guess,” Jon says, shrugging even though his whole face is red. Tommy slips an arm around his waist, plucking the brush out of his hand to bend Jon into a kiss.

“So long as you’re there to play mediator when we, inevitably, break rule four,” Tommy whispers against his lips, and he feels Jon shiver in his arms.

“Always,” Jon snarks before pulling Tommy back into a kiss.

iv.

Jon and Lovett have an annual tradition of riding their horses to meet up with some childhood friends on a frozen pond the week before Christmas. They get excited about it, telling Tommy about past years and the hi-jinx they’ve gotten into with their old friends. They pack a change of clothes and a couple blankets. Tommy sits on their bed and watches them with a smile on his face.

“Are you sure you’re okay staying behind? We’ll be gone no longer than a day,” Lovett says, sitting down on the bed next to Tommy as Jon finishes up packing. Tommy nods instead of giving a verbal answer, the lump in his throat growing a little tighter.

“My parents are less than a mile away, and Ma said you can ride down and have dinner with them if you’re lonely,” Jon says as he shoves a final pair of socks into his pack. He kneels down in front of Tommy, right hand on Tommy’s knee.

“Mark will beat you at a very swift game of chess,” Lovett offers, Jon and Tommy laughing softly.

“Remember how I was a sickly child? I might be able to take on Mark in a chess match,” Tommy says with a grin.

“Then wait for us to get back because no one has ever beaten Papa before,” Jon says, squeezing Tommy’s knee.

They leave in a flurry of tight hugs and lingering kisses, and then Tommy’s alone in the Wild West for the first time since two strangers sat down across from him in a saloon.

He starts by cleaning up the flurry of clothes that Jon and Lovett left scattered across the bedroom as they hurried to leave. Washing clothes in winter has become one of Tommy’s most hated tasks, which he avoids at all costs. He stocks the fireplace before heading to the library for some quiet reading time.

It’s sometime later that he hears the familiar sound of horse hooves outside, and then a rhythmic knocking on the front door. He puts his bookmark in the gardening book he’d been reading and hurries to the front door.

“Thomas, you look terribly cold!” Ma says as she walks in, entering before Tommy even says hello. She wraps him up in a tight hug, patting his back a couple times.

“Were you off in another room because it’s warm in here,” Papa says as he walks into the sitting area, shedding his winter coat. Tommy nods, accepting the tight hug Papa gives him. From inside her canvas bag, Ma pulls out what looks like a container of soup.

“I was in the library. Did you bring dinner?” Tommy asks, warmth blooming in his chest as Ma nods and heads towards the kitchen.

“I know you can cook on your own, but Lo mentioned that you haven’t been on your own since moving out here, so I figured we’d ride on down and keep you company for the night. I wanna hear more about Boston,” Ma says as she gets to work in the kitchen, Tommy smiling a little wider.

They spend the evening sitting around the kitchen table, slowly eating the soup Ma brought and some bread Jon had made two days ago. Turns out, Papa brought a chessboard, and they set it up at the kitchen table for a match.

Ma asks about his parents, and if he’s had any contact with them since he moved. He lies and says he has, and even though Tommy’s sure she sees right through him, she doesn’t call him. He tells them about Boston winters, the harbor in the summertime, and playing baseball in any dirt field they could find as kids. He talks about his schooling, about studying philosophy and wanting to go back to study politics. Papa, it turns out, has a bit of knowledge on philosophy himself, and as they play chess, they talk about it.

When it’s finally time for them to leave, they each give him another tight hug. Ma cups his face in her hands and smiles softly at him, a happy twinkle in her eye.

“Jon and Lo have always been so picky about their friends. The group they’re meeting up with are some of the only long-term friends I’ve known them to have. So, if they like you enough to invite you to stay, then you’re always welcome here,” Ma says sincerely, hugging Tommy again before his lip starts to tremble. Papa pats him on the back a couple times and then they’re gone, out into the night on their old horses.

Tommy tidies up the kitchen before heading into the sitting room. There’s a rather comfortable settee that Tommy likes to sit on when he’s feeling cold and wants to be in the middle of the house. He curls up on it with his gardening book, determined to prepare for the few months they’ll have in the house before they travel.

Somehow, he falls asleep curled up against one of the cushions, the book open on his face. He’s awoken hours later by a rather amused looking Lovett, ears and face pink from the cold wind he rode in to get home.

“What - what time is it?” Tommy asks as Lovett and Jon strip of their winter gear.

“Sometime after midnight, probably early in the morning,” Lovett says, reaching for his pocket watch. He pulls it out and winds it up before showing Tommy that it is, indeed, very early in the morning.

“Did you guys have fun?” Tommy asks as he sits up, Jon and Lovett still taking off their winter gear. They stow their boots away and hang their jackets up, much to Tommy’s amusement. He knows, before he was around, they let stuff clutter the floors.

“Yeah! We do some ice fishing, which is what we have for dinner. Jon caught a nice one, and we made him clean it, which he hates,” Lovett says with a grin, Jon frowning. “We drank some hooch Mikey brought, and sang some old camp songs we all knew the words to.”

“Lovett got into a heated debate with someone over the words to one song and he had to take a walk.”

“You know I was right, I’ve had _Out Where The West Begins_ memorized for as long as I could talk,” Lovett argues, walking into the kitchen. Jon rolls his eyes, sitting down across from Tommy.

“So has everyone else who grew up out here,” Jon replies, and he smiles when Lovett huffs in the kitchen.

“That’s a song?” Tommy asks, and Jon nods. Lovett walks back into the sitting room with a glass of water.

“It’s one of the ones they taught us at the one room schoolhouse we all went to, but it’s also one my dad used to sing a lot. Your dad too,” Lovett says, gesturing to Jon. He sits in a chair next to Jon’s, and Tommy shifts on the settee.

“So, it was a good time all around then,” Tommy says, ignoring the little negging in his stomach. Jon and Lovett both nod, smiling at each other.

“It’s always fun to go up on a frozen pond, which at this point might be big enough to be classified as a lake -”

“Don’t get into this again.”

“I won’t! But as I was saying, it’s always nice to freeze my toes off to see some old friends.”

“Well, and the snow. It’s always more fun when it snows,” Jon says, looking out the front window. For the first time in hours, Tommy looks outside, frowning.

“If it was snowing, you guys should’ve stayed the night! Did you ride back in the snow?” he asks, stomach churning uncomfortably at the idea of them outside in the cold. Lovett shrugs, sharing a look with Jon.

“We could’ve,” Lovett says, placing his water glass down on the end table.

“We could’ve, but we would’ve missed you,” Jon says, already smiling when Tommy looks over at him. “I don’t think the two of us know how to sleep without you anymore.”

“Oh,” Tommy says, looking down at his hands as Jon and Lovett stand up and come over to sit with him. Lovett worms his way into Tommys lap, finding space between Tommy’s legs and the arm of the settee to settle. Jon sits down next to him, cuddling up under the blanket with him.

“Were you feeling a little left out?” Jon asks, and Tommy shrugs.

“No, but I did miss you both. Ma and Papa came here, actually, and kept me company for most of the evening. Brought soup and the chessboard. I did beat your Papa, but I think I distracted him talking about philosophy,” Tommy says, shifting to get arms around both of them. Jon rests his head on Tommy’s shoulder, his favorite place to rest, as Lovett leans back against the settee.

“Philosophy with Papa Mark, I bet Lilian loved that,” Lovett jokes, Jon snorting quietly.

“Actually, she’s the one who asked me about philosophy. She wanted to hear about what I did in schooling and my interests. She, uh… she told me that if you two, as picky about friends as you are, invited me to stay, I was always welcome here.”

Jon hums softly, lifting his head to smile at Tommy. “Ma likes you.”

“I could’ve told you that, she thought he was cute as a button the first time she saw him,” Lovett says, smiling softly when Tommy slips his hand up the back of his shirt.

“You thought Tommy was handsome the first time we saw him,” Jon says with a grin, Lovett scoffing and turning bright red.

“Jonathan Favreau,” Lovett gasps, though he’s laughing through it. Jon laughs too, and then they dissolve into a fit of giggles, leaning heavily on each other.

“I’ll take the compliment,” Tommy says when he can speak again, leaning forward to kiss Lovett’s jaw.

“Is it bedtime? I’m exhausted,” Jon says quietly, tugging on their arms. Lovett laughs out his nose, shaking his head fondly at Jon.

“Come on then, _acushla’s_ sleepy,” Jon says as he stands, holding out his hands to pull them both to their feet. “And _mavourneen_ needs cuddles.”

“I do, I really do,” Tommy says with a grin.

v.

The pocket watch on the bedside table tells them it’s almost time to get up and go tend to the animals, but the wind and freezing rain outside have kept them deep under the covers. Somewhere down at the bottom of the bed, their clothes are hanging off the edge of the bed. Even their socks are somewhere on the floor.

Jon’s back is slick with sweat and absolutely stuck to Tommy’s chest, though that’s right where Tommy wants him to be. He has an arm wrapped around his torso, hand flat in the middle of Jon’s chest, as he holds him in place. Jon’s head is tilted back into Tommy’s neck, mouth hanging open slightly.

“Tom,” he whimpers as Tommy moves, keeping the pace slow and even so to keep the blankets tight around them. Keeping his hold on Jon’s chest, Tommy shifts his hips lower, changing the angle, and Jon gasps.

“He’s going to come,” Lovett whispers, his voice tight. He has a hand around the base of Jon’s dick, holding it just tight enough to keep him from coming. Tommy’s other hand is moving sloppily over Lovett’s dick, his body trembling where Jon’s holding onto him.

“Please, Lo,” Jon whines, shifting his own hips. The movement must cause Tommy to brush up against his spot, because he chokes on air and shakes.

Lovett slides closer to Jon, his head ducked down slightly. He’s been marking up Jon’s chest for the past five minutes, sucking bruising kisses into his skin. Now, he slides close enough that his body is lined up with Jon’s. Over Jon’s shoulder, Tommy watches as Lovett lines his dick up with Jon’s. Taking the cue, Tommy wraps his hand around the both of them.

“Oh, oh my,” Lovett gasps, mouth closing around one of Tommy’s fingers that’s still gripping Jon’s chest. The sensation causes Tommy to shiver, and he loosens his fingers enough to let Lovett suck another into his mouth.

“Lo, baby,” Jon gasps, and Lovett hurries to stick his thumb in Jon’s mouth, his other fingers caressing Jon’s jaw. Tommy grinds up into Jon, and he feels someones dick twitch.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” Tommy says, and then they come, Jon first with a high-pitched cry, his neck lolling back and his mouth hanging open wide. Tommy attaches his lips to Jons neck as Lovett comes right after, grunting in his throat and biting down on Tommy’s fingers. It’s just enough, the pain of his teeth, to get Tommy to thrust one, two, three more times until he comes with his mouth attached to Jon’s neck, Lovett’s teeth still sunk into his hand.

There’s a few blissful moments after the rushing in Tommy’s ears stop that they just breathe, bodies relaxing into the mattress as the post orgasim haze sets in. Tommy doesn’t pull out yet, instead reaching for a cloth on the nightstand. Jon nods when he’s ready and Tommy pulls out slowly, immediately pressing the cloth against him.

“Lo,” Jon whispers, nudging Lovett with his nose. Lovett’s still hiding his face in Jon’s chest, his back moving as he takes deep calming breaths. Tommy uses the hand that had been on Jon’s chest to caress Lovett’s face, pulling his chin up. Jon kisses him immediately, soft and lush. Tommy keeps his fingers on Lovett’s cheek.

“You gotta clean up,” Lovett whispers to Jon, who groans.

“Kiss me again,” he demands, making Tommy chuckle. Rolling his eyes, Lovett leans in and gives Jon three quick kisses.

“Okay, thank you,” Jon says, smiling as he reaches back and takes over holding the cloth to himself. “Let me roll, Tommy?”

After some maneuvering, Jon’s able to get up out of bed. He bends down and gives Tommy three kisses, each slow and soft, before he disappears into their washroom. Lovett crawls across the bed to curl into Tommy’s side, using his toes to push himself up high enough to reach Tommy’s mouth.

Tommy runs his hand along Lovett’s side, trailing his fingers up his back until they can tangle in Lovett’s curls. Their lips are unhurried, lazy, and the kisses are mostly dry. Lovett’s hands cup Tommy’s jaw, fingers light and almost tickling. They’re still attached at the lips when Jon walks back in, crawling under the covers and cuddling up next to them.

“Hi,” Lovett says to Jon, pushing himself up and across Tommy’s chest. His lips connect with Jon’s. Jon turns his head and lets Tommy kiss him a few times before they settle, eyes closed and relaxing against each other.

“Hey,” Tommy whispers into the room, relaxing his body further into the pillows. Jon tucks the blankets around his back as he turns over to lay on his side against Tommy, and Lovett stays sprawled on Tommy’s chest.

“What’s up, _mavourneen_?” Jon whispers, butchering the pronunciation enough to make Lovett giggle from where he’s laying, eyes closed. Tommy watches as Jon starts playing with Lovett’s curls, both of them smiling happily. Tommy gets an arm around them both, as close as he wants them.

When he doesn’t speak for a moment, Lovett rubs his cheek on Tommy’s and taps his chest. “Tommy?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Tommy says, pulling himself back to the present and his eyes away from Jon’s hand tangled in Lovett’s curls. “I… I love you both.”

His eyes are on the ceiling, so he misses the amused look Jon and Lovett share before Lovett tilts Tommy’s chin down so he’s looking at them. They’re both smiling, rather happily.

“We love you too, Tommy,” Lovett says, a bit of a laugh in his voice.

“A lot, actually. I thought we were quite obvious,” Jon says, looking at Lovett. They both nod, smiling again at Tommy. Cheeks red, Tommy shakes his head slightly.

“Oh,” he says quietly, feeling a bit sheepish. Lovett kisses his chest while Jon kisses his shoulder, both of them still smiling. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“We could’ve also said something,” Jon says, Lovett nodding. “I love you, Tommy.”

“I love you, too. I don’t let just anyone in my library,” Lovett jokes, Jon pinching him as Tommy laughs. “I hope you know that means you’re stuck with us.”

“I’m okay with that,” Tommy says with a grin, Jon and Lovett smiling back.

vi.

The snow’s been melted for two weeks when Tommy gets Jon and Lovett to go with him to a nearby town to look for some seeds. He’s been planning a front garden now all winter, and he hasn’t stopped talking their ears off. He figures if he starts it early enough, they can have a mini harvest of their own before they have to leave for most of the year. And even when they leave, Tommy plans to plant enough crops to let Ma and Papa have something to pick.

Papa already has a plough they can use, so they attach it to Sunny and dig up a plot of land next to the cabin. Jon uses a shovel and a hoe to break up the bigger chunks, while Lovett sketches out a planting plot. When Sunny is done and Jon’s halfway done with the plot, he throws the hoe at Lovett and makes him help as well.

Following Lovett’s detailed plan, they set out in their own areas to plant seeds. Lovett lays down in the grass and pushes seeds in slowly, whistling a tune as he does. Tommy and Jon smile at each other, Tommy endlessly endeared with the way Lovett swings his feet to the tune.

“How far apart again?” Jon asks, giggling when Tommy and Lovett groan at him.

“Three or four fingers,” they say in unison, making Jon laugh at them.

“Did you make a plot for the flowers?” Tommy asks, and Lovett hums easily.

“Nearest to the house, a nice line of them. Some sunflowers, to be nice and bright. I know Papa likes the seeds, and then we can replant them next year,” Lovett says, smiling when Tommy beams at him.

“We can teach Tommy how to make preserves and a decent pie,” Jon says in Lovett’s direction.

“I know how to make a pie,” Tommy says petulantly, sticking out his bottom lip. Lovett snorts.

“Jon said a _decent_ pie.”

“Hey!” Tommy crosses his arms, shaking his head at them. “That’s not very in line with rule four.”

“Oh, my God,” Jon says, laughing as he falls back into the grass. His hand is on his stomach, the other clutching his seeds, as he giggles. Lovett snorts at them as he continues to push seeds into the ground, the only one of them really paying attention to the task at hand.

“Jon Favreau, breaking rule four.”

“Lo broke it, too!”

“You broke it first,” Lovett says, though he’s not looking at them.

Tommy picks up a clot of dirt and throws it at where Jon is laying, and by the time Lovett does start paying attention to them, they’re rolling around in the grass in what looks like a very uncoordinated tickle fight.

“Are you two children?” Lovett asks as he sits up, placing his seeds on the ground and walking over to them. “We won’t have any berries to make the pies with if you don’t plant any seeds!”

Tommy looks up at him, hovering over Jon in the grass. Jon has both hands up under Tommy’s shirt, heading towards him armpits, but for a moment they freeze.

“We’ll get to the seeds, don’t worry,” Jon says before tickling Tommy, yelling out as Tommy collapses on top of him. They roll around some more until they’re on their sides, arms tangled, and Lovett’s standing over them.

“Are you two going to stop?” Lovett asks, trying to sound serious but the smile on his face ruins it. He drops down next to them and before he can settle, Tommy hauls him in, Lovett yelling as he ends up squished between Jon and Tommy in the grass.

“We’re going to be so dirty,” Jon laments, nuzzling his face into Lovett’s curls. Tommy shrugs, wrapping an arm around Lovett’s waist. They shift around until they’re comfortable, arms and legs a tangled mess.

“That’s what a good old fashioned dip in the river’s for,” Lovett says, wiggling his eyebrows.

“If we get in the river, we’re getting clean,” Tommy replies.

“We can get clean and have fun,” Lovett suggests, winking at Jon. Jon blinks.

“I don’t want to be in the middle of another water fight, you both play dirty.”

Tommy and Lovett snort, petting Jon’s hair.

“We promise, sweetheart,” Tommy laughs, thumb on Jon’s cheek.

vii.

Tommy’s pie making skills, it turns out, are better than anything else he’s tried out West. He doesn’t burn anything like Lovett did, or eat half of the filling like Jon. When they sit out in the grass and eat the berry pie, all squished together against the wall of the house, Jon and Lovett make appreciative noises at the very first bite.

“Tommy, this is more than decent.”

“I’m sorry Jon ever doubted you.”

Tommy ignores them as they throw bits of berries at each other, shaking his head and continuing to eat.

“Hey, come on! I worked hard on that!”

Jon and Lovett stop, putting whatever berries they had in their hands into their mouths. Lovett leans over and kisses Tommy’s cheek.

“I’m sorry, _mavourneen_, I won’t waste your delicious pie any longer,” he says, accepting a kiss when Tommy leans in for one.

“Thank you, darling,” Tommy says, fascinated by the way Lovett’s cheeks continue to pinken at the endearment.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m sorry to have doubted your pie making skills and for ruining perfectly delicious pie,” Jon says, sticking his tongue out at Lovett before leaning in to kiss Tommy.

“You didn’t ruin it, sweetheart,” he says, placing his empty plate in the grass nearby. He motions for them to scoot closer and they cuddle up into his sides, tucked under his arms like puzzle pieces. Lovett reaches over and thumbs a piece of pie off Jon’s lips. “If anything, eating it here with you two makes it better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and remember y'all, be kind!


	3. letters to faraway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more soft cowboys, but with a bit more character development on tommy's part. again, this is just a tommy as a cowboy character study. but with feelings. and now Dan!

Tommy sends the letter off right before they leave to work the ranches. 

He rides into town that Sunday, a stack of mail for the expressmen. He has a small list of things to get for Ma and Papa, as well as last minute supplies Lovett decides he needs. Tommy leaves before dawn and doesn’t make it back home until nearly dusk, the days still relatively short in the beginning of spring. 

“Is that a candy stick?” Lovett asks as Tommy unpacks his satchel. Jon grabs the thread he needs to fix a shirt of his and kisses Tommy on the cheek before walking away. 

“A peppermint and a cherry one,” Tommy says, holding up the candies. Lovett’s eyes widen, somewhat comical, before he grabs the peppermint one. 

“Thank you,” he says, leaning on the table. “Did you get everything we need?”

“Of course, darling. The candies were what I got with the money leftover,” Tommy says, grinning as Lovett shakes his head. 

“Did you see the expressman?”

Tommy stiffens a bit, standing up straighter. His posture becomes tight again, almost on instinct, and he sees Lovett shift in his peripheral. 

“I did,” Tommy says after a beat of somewhat awkward silence. He’s not used to feeling at odds with either Jon or Lovett, but he’s felt at odds with them over this. 

“Good. I’m proud of you.” Lovett comes around the table, heading for the door. He doesn’t invade Tommy’s space, lets him breathe, but he does touch his hand gently before leaving the room.

Hands stilling, Tommy feels his shoulders slump. He’s still unsure of which one of them thought it necessary that he sent a letter to his parents, but they had brought the idea to him together. He knows he had been unduly harsh with them, made clear when Jon had put a wide berth between them in bed that night. 

But after a week and one very long talk with their heads on the pillows, Tommy had agreed that a letter letting them know he was (at least) alive was probably best. They’d left him be after that, and over the course of the next couple days, he’d made himself sit down and write the letter.

Putting the supplies away, Tommy tidies up the kitchen and heads into the sitting room. There, he finds Jon sitting on the floor, finishing up stitching the hole in his shirt. Lovett’s on the settee, peppermint stick in his mouth. Jon’s leaning up against Lovett’s legs, tongue sticking out his mouth. They both look up at him when he walks in, causing Tommy’s heart to flutter in his chest. 

“I - uh, I wanted to say,” Tommy stammers, trailing off slightly. He clears his throat, looking down for a moment, and when he looks back up, Jon’s put his sewing down and they’ve both turned towards him. A part of Tommy feels like he could cry. “I want to say thank you. To both of you, for making me do that.”

Jon nods, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips, but Lovett’s stays still. They don’t look away from him, giving him the space to continue. 

“I’m sorry, for how I reacted to the idea. I know… sometimes I can be a little mean,” he says, watching as Lovett’s eyebrow twitches. “Okay, I was very harsh and I know.”

“You, I mean,” Jon starts, looking uncomfortable again. Tommy could tell from the start that Jon was someone who loathed confrontation. Lovett puts a hand on Jon’s neck, gentle. “You didn’t give us a clear picture on… on why.”

“Why it upset you so much,” Lovett fills in for Jon, who nods. It’s moments like these Tommy’s reminded that they’ve been friends since they were kids. 

Tommy sighs. 

Kicking off his boots, he walks to the other side of the settee and sits down, pulling his blanket down from the back to wrap around his shoulders. Jon and Lovett turn to continue watching him, and Jon looks like he almost reaches out to touch Tommy’s knee. 

“I don’t… hate my parents. But they had - they had certain expectations about how I would live my life. I’m Thomas Frederick Vietor the Fourth. The fourth. So we… disagreed on my future after college.”

“Because,” Jon prompts, the three headed elephant filling up the room. Tommy shrugs. 

“They were in the process of setting up a ‘suitable marriage’ to a girl from a family they know when I left. I didn’t tell them where or why. Just followed the wind and ended up here,” Tommy explains, smiling when Jon finally puts his hand on Tommys knee. 

“So they… they really don’t know if you’re alive or not,” Lovett says, not flinching when Jon pinches him. Tommy shrugs. 

“I guess so. I feel bad, a lot, for leaving like that. Hopefully… hopefully the letter will be received well,” he says softly, a new kind of anxiety rising in his stomach. But before it can manifest entirely, Jon’s up off the floor and pushing his way into Tommy’s arms. He settles with his legs across Tommy’s lap, arms tight around his torso, and head on his shoulder. Lovett scoots across the cushions and plasters himself to Tommy’s side. 

“I’m sure it will,” Jon says, eternally optimistic. Tommy looks at Lovett, who shrugs his shoulder and offers Tommy nothing more. He’s offered Tommy enough though, because this is the closest they’ve been in a week of tension. Relaxing into the cushions, Tommy beats the anxiety in his stomach away with the warmth of his boys. 

ii. 

Sleeping in a tent, Tommy finds, is much like getting back on the horse after falling off. You just have to do it, and you’ll figure out the rest later. 

At their first stop, they end up grouped together with a bunch of other cowboys from across the West. Jon tells Tommy it’s normal for everyone to be traveling between the same places at the beginning of the season. 

What that really means is Tommy can hear every single person’s breathing and snoring that night, and even a few quiet moans. He doesn’t get much sleep that first night. 

It isn’t until they’re done with their first job and traveling northeast towards the Dakotas that they find a quiet spot to camp for the night. They clean off in the river, a days worth of work and two days of riding grime being scrubbed off their bodies, and then hurry to get into their sleep clothes and pass out. 

Or, Tommy thought that was the plan, until Jon disappears under the blankets and Lovett’s face goes red. A very familiar hand slides up Tommys thigh and he shudders, eyes closing as another hand pulls down his underwear. Lifting up the blankets, Tommy meets Jon’s eyes right before Jon sinks his mouth down around Tommy’s dick. 

“Oh, oh my - God,” Tommy sighs, eyes now rolling back in his head. Lips, Lovett’s lips, press wet kisses to his neck, teeth nibbling along the trail he makes down to the hollow made as Tommy pushes his neck back into the pillow. “Jon, I’m - I’m gonna -”

“Do it, he likes it,” Lovett whispers into Tommy’s ear, teeth soft against his skin. Lovett’s hand ghosts across his chest, holding him down when he tries to arch up, and Tommy groans. 

Down under the sheets, Jon does something with his mouth, and everything feels tight, and before Tommy can get the words out to warn Jon, he’s coming harder than he has in months. His body shakes when he feels Jon swallow around him, stars bursting behind his eyelids. Tommy lifts up the blanket in time to see Jon swipe the edges of his mouth. 

“Come - come up here, please,” he pants, and Jon comes willingly. Tommy kisses him, hands on either side of his face, holding him close as he tastes himself on Jon’s lips. It’s all much more arousing than he ever thought possible, but he has other plans. 

Later, with a blissed out Lovett laying on his chest, Jon reaches up and cups Tommy’s cheek. They look at each other for a moment, and Tommy seems to get what this was about. That lingering bit of tension, the reminders of the tense two week period where they’d been bitter with each other, feels distant as Tommy tangles his fingers with Lovetts and lets Jon caress his face. 

“I love you both so much,” Tommy whispers, a lingering vulnerability cracking his chest wide open. There’d been a moment, in the past week, where he’d worried he’d messed everything up, and they’d want him to leave. 

Lovett tugs on his hand, and Tommy takes the cue. He settles with his head on Jon’s chest, nose almost touching Lovett’s. It’s not often that he isn’t in the middle, but he relaxes as Jon runs his fingers through Tommy’s hair. 

“I love you too, Tom,” Jon whispers, sounding close to sleep. He snorts a little, briefly, and Tommy knows that means he’s trying to stay awake. Tommy smiles, looking at Lovett. 

“You know, there’s a reason we don’t live in a cabin on _ my _ parents land.” Lovett’s voice is quiet but guarded, and Tommy realizes that he’s being given something valuable. “I don’t go around making a big deal out of it, or really advertising that my parents aren’t accepting of who I am, but I would’ve hoped… you and I are kindred spirits. What happened simply is, and I hope… if you need someone who understands, you know I’m here. If I didn’t make that clear. I’ll always listen to what you have to say.”

Tommy leans in and kisses Lovett softly, the moment calling for nothing more. The kiss feels healing, like their twin vulnerabilities are soothed by it. A few more quick presses and then Lovett takes a deep breath. 

“I love you, _ mavourneen _. A lot,” Lovett says, offering Tommy a smile. 

“And I you, darling,” Tommy says before kissing him again. 

iii. 

Reaching the Dakota’s means that Tommy finally gets to meet Dan. 

Jon and Lovett have talked Tommys ear off about one of their favorite couples to work for, and how they always schedule some extra time to stay with them before heading on to the next job. Jon tells Tommy about the cobbler Howli makes and how big their daughter is getting, and Lovett tells him that Dan collects books he thinks Lovett will like on his travels during winter. 

They get there a day before the big cattle run, and as soon as they pull their horses to a halt, the front door of the house opens and a young girl comes running out. 

“Kyla, not near the horses!” someone calls behind her, and Lovett’s off his horse in an instant to keep the no older than five year old girl from running into an injury. “Boys! It’s so good to see y’all!”

Lovett, with a very excited Kyla on his hip, joins Jon as they walk over to greet the man that can only be Dan. He’s tall and wearing a floppy straw hat. When he smiles, it reminds Tommy of his favorite uncle. 

“You must be Tommy,” Dan says, holding out his hand. “Welcome to our little ranch here.”

“Little,” Lovett mocks, tickling Kyla’s stomach. She squeals loudly, reaching up and trying to grab at his curls. “Wait until we show Tommy every inch of this place, he’ll know the truth.”

“It’s a modestly sized ranch,” Dan says with a laugh, herding them inside. 

They meet Howli in the dining room, where she’s working on sewing Kyla a new outfit. She hugs each of them, even Tommy, and gushes over Lovett and Jon for a moment before launching into askingTommy questions about his life so far in the West. 

“We’ll have plenty of time to grill Tommy over dinner, hun. Boys, your bedroom’s the usual one upstairs and dinner is after sun down. Go show Tommy around,” Dan says, shooing them out of the room with a smile. 

When they’re upstairs, with the door closed, Tommy clears his throat. 

“So, uh, does Dan know?” he asks hesitantly, sitting on the end of the bed. There’s three pillows at the top of the bed, and it’s certainly big enough to fit three men. 

“Dan is… one of the only people, yeah,” Lovett says, crawling to the middle of the bed. He taps Tommy’s shoulders until Tommy flops back, letting his head rest in Lovett’s lap. 

“And he’s… he’s okay? I mean obviously, he lets us into his house and stay here but I…” Tommy trails off, Lovett’s fingers in his hair. Jon sits down and rests a gentle hand on Tommy’s chest. 

“Most men out here… they know without telling. There’s a lot of guys you’ll meet that you’ll know they’re together without them saying anything. There’s an understanding there. Dan and Howli are some of the only people we’ve ever… explicitly told that we are together. My parents, and Betsy, who you’ve met,” Jon explains softly, his fingers playing patterns on Tommy’s chest. “I’ve heard of communities of mining men in the mountains who keep households and have ‘bachelor weddings’.”

“I guess I had not realized,” Tommy mumbles, closing his eyes at the comfort of their ministrations. Lovett hums. 

“There are a’many homosexual cowboys, my dear,” Lovett says softly, and Tommy smiles. Jon taps his chest and Tommy opens his eyes again. 

“Come on, we want to show you the rope swing before dark,” Jon says, that giddy excited smile on his face that makes Tommy’s stomach flutter. When he looks up, Lovett’s wearing his version.

“One moment,” Tommy says, sitting up and turning towards them. Reaching for Jon, they both scoot closer to him as he kisses Jon, and then kisses Lovett. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, rope swing!” Lovett says, making Jon laugh.

iv.

The plan is to get Dan’s cattle up into a valley region of his property, where there’s plenty of water and trees. When Dan shows Tommy on the map of his property, Tommy snorts and mumbles ‘little’ under his breath until Dan’s laughing too. 

Five other guys show up, setting up camp near the line of trees behind the house. Everyone eats dinner outside the night before the run, a rowdy and loud affair that sees Dan leading a campfire song and Kyla falling asleep in Tommy’s arms. 

Surprisingly, Dan asks Tommy to lead the herd with him. Tommy’s only ran in the middle so far, which is much easier than trying to lead the cattle or keep them from straying off at the back. But Sunny is more prepared than Tommy is, and he knows she’ll be great, so he agrees. 

Turns out, he’s really good at herding cattle. 

By the time they’re up at the valley, the cows pouring into the flat and heading for the river splitting the land, Tommy’s covered in sweat and dirt. He spits to clean his mouth, already thinking about how great it’s going to be to jump in the river later. As the last of the cows rumble down the hills past Tommy, Dan motions for Tommy to dismount. They’re tying up their horses when Jon and Lovett finally come over the hill, corralling the last cow into the valley. One of the other guys, Tommy doesn’t catch who, lets out a happy cheer. 

The valley is beautiful, one of the most beautiful areas Tommy’s seen yet. Jon and Lovett have been telling him about a place in northwestern Wyoming that has some of the most beautiful sights he’s never seen, but Tommy thinks the sun hitting the river and reflecting in sparkles is a wonder of the world. 

They spread out among the trees and grass, everyone pulling out their packed lunches. Howli had sent them all off with sandwiches, jerky, and full canteens. Tommy flops down in a shaded patch of grass, laying out on his back as he takes everything in. Dan’s given them no more than an hour to rest before they ride back. 

“Here he is,” Lovett says softly as he plops down in the grass next to Tommy's hips. He takes off his flannel shirt, an early morning choice, and lays it out on the grass to place their food on. Jon sits down next to Tommy’s head, ruffling his hair gently. 

“Tired, Tom?” Jon asks, and Tommy hums softly. The tree above them is letting small beams of light through, and Tommy turns his head to watch them move across Lovett’s face. 

“Yeah, something like that,” Tommy says, finally sitting up and reaching for his food. Lovett hands him his canteen, making a very pointed face, and Tommy takes a long drink before he eats. 

“Working the front will tire you out, so drink a lot. Sunny did great, though. She’s a great horse,” Lovett says, looking over to where Sunny is lazily chewing on some grass. Tommy smiles. 

“That’s my girl,” he says with a smug smile, leaning into Jon’s side a bit. 

When they’re done eating, they gather up the horses and head back to the ranch, meandering along the path. Lovett and Jon get Tommy to follow them along the river, away from the main farmhouse and into the trees. It’s just the three of them, following a path Jon swears leads to the prettiest clearing. 

Turns out he’s right, and they tie the horses off to some low hanging branches and lay out in the grass all on top of each other. Lovett kisses Tommy’s neck and Jon kisses his cheeks and he giggles until the sun starts to disappear. 

v.

Following his nose, Tommy meanders through the farmhouse to the kitchen, where he finds Howli sitting at the table. She has a cup of tea next to her, a pie cooling on the counter, and when Tommy walks in, she looks up and smiles at him. 

“Jon told me you’ve never lead the run before,” she says, standing and reaching for the oven. She pulls out a covered plate that’s been kept warm over the embers and places it on the table for him. “I think Lovett was spot on when you’d wake.”

“Of course they made bets on me,” Tommy says with a laugh, sitting down. “It’s also quite nice to sleep on an actual bed and not in a tent.”

“They’ll try to deny it, but we know it’s why they spend a couple extra days with us each year,” Howli says with a laugh. She disappears off into the living room and comes back with fabric and sewing supplies. As Tommy eat, she takes his measurements, promising him a perfect lightweight shirt for summer by the time they leave. When Tommy protests, she tuts and shakes her head. 

“I taught Jon how to sew, you know? I mean, his mother had tried but I don’t think he’d ever much paid attention. One of the first years they helped us, he tore a huge hole in his jeans, and they were his only pair. I sat him down at this table and walked him through fixing the hole. I then made him another pair of pants.” She smiles at him, challenging in a way. 

“Thank you,” he says finally and she nods, leaving him be. 

After breakfast, he finds Jon and Lovett outside in the garden, pulling weeds. Kyla’s sitting next to Lovett, talking a mixture of gibberish and actual words at him as he nods and hands her weeds. Jon’s nearby, straw hat on his head. Dan’s at the far end of the plot, a varitey of tools spread around him as he works on creating new area to plant. 

“Tommy!” Kyla calls, waving her hands excitedly. She drops a few of the weeds she’d been holding onto Lovett, who simply shakes his head and places them to the side. 

“Look who finally awoke!” Lovett calls, Jon giggling at him. Dan looks up at him and waves him over. 

“They can keep weeding,” Dan says with a grin, wiping his brow. “Would you like to help me plant some flowers? Kyla loves a good plot of flowers to pull up before they’re ready to pick.”

Tommy laughs and takes the seeds, sitting in the dirt and pushing seeds in at even intervals. Dan finishes getting the ground ready and joins Tommy on the ground, taking a pile of seeds and settling in the dirt. They’re quiet for awhile, just the sounds of Kyla and Lovett talking to each other in the warm air. They’re near the end of the rows, little seeds left, when Dan clears his throat. 

“It’s been years since I’ve seen Boston,” Dan says, gently pushing a seed into the dirt and covering it. He scoots to his left a little and looks up at Tommy. “Quite liked it, to be honest. Almost thought about staying, but I had places to be.”

Tommy hums, shielding his eyes to look at where Dan’s sitting. 

“What made you decide to leave and come here? Pretty stark difference,” Dan says, and though his voice is even and friendly, Tommy hears the curiosity. He also thinks there might be some protectiveness in there, something akin to an older brother. Subtle, less threatening than a parents but still there. 

“A lot of reasons, really,” Tommy starts, laughing at himself. He sits up straighter and takes a deep breath. “I was at odds with my parents vision of my future, and I felt an inexplicable need to… be free?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Dan laughs, and Tommy shrugs. 

“Telling. I told myself I’d go west, find myself, and maybe go back home if I failed. I don’t think I’ll be going home for more than a visit anytime soon,” he says with a smile, looking over to where Jon and Lovett are now sitting in the grass, Kyla in front of them showing off the flowers she’s picked. They’re both giving her their full attention, faces warmed by the sun. Tommy shifts his eyes back to Dan to find him smiling at him. 

“Did you find yourself?” Dan asks, putting his last seed into the ground. He covers it up and pats the soil, gentle as can be. Tommy drops his last seeds into the ground. 

“I think so,” he says, to which Dan grins. 

“I think so, too. Now, go fill the watering can and get these two rows! We still have work to do,” Dan tells him. Tommy feels himself smile side, his cheeks hurting a little, as he stands and walks towards Jon and Lovett. He ruffles Kyla’s hair and kisses the top of Jon, then Lovett’s head, before hurrying off to get the watering can. 

vi. 

The letter’s waiting on the table when they return to Wyoming. 

They unpack first, setting aside a large pile of clothes to wash and some to fix. Lovett has a few new books from Dan and a small shop they found somewhere near the Rockies. Jon has a couple books of his own, but he also has some interesting trinkets he’d found out on the range. Tommy has a new shirt from Howli and a spring in his step, giddiness at finally being home and at how well the summer went. 

Ma helps keep the house fresh while they’re gone, coming during the day and opening a few windows so everything doesn’t get musty, but there’s still dust and things to clean. They get the house back to normal before Jon heads into the kitchen to warm up the food they’d picked up from Ma. They’ll have to go into town soon to restock. 

Tommy settles in on the settee, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His hands are shaking slightly as he looks down at the letter, his sisters handwriting on the front. It’s thicker than he expected, but if it is from his sister, he expects it to be pages upon pages long. 

He doesn’t realize how long he’s been sitting there, staring at the envelope, until Lovett worms his way into Tommy’s arms, Jon sitting down next to him. He blinks and he’s aware that there’s food on the table in the room, warm and ready to eat. 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Tommy asks, voice hollow to his own ears. 

“This is more important,” Lovett says, tapping the letter. 

  
“Unless you want to read this alone,” Jon says quickly, but Tommy shakes his head. 

“I’d like you - you can both stay here,” Tommy says, gesturing towards the rest of the settee. Lovett nods, kissing Tommy’s cheek, before giving Tommy space. 

As Tommy starts to read, Jon and Lovett start eating. They stay mostly quiet, poking each other and giggling at each other, but always looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren’t disrupting Tommy. When he’s done, Tommy gets up and joins them at the table, sitting in his usual spot. He places the letters in the empty part of the table and lets out a deep sigh. 

“All good?” Jon asks, reaching over to squeeze Tommy’s hand. Lovett watches them closely, mouth in a thin line. He looks as anxious as Tommy was opening the envelope. 

“Yeah, actually,” Tommy breathes, his chest constricting. Lovett grabs his other hand, squeezes tight, and Tommy takes another breath. “My sister, uh, did most of the writing on the letter. But she says we’re all invited, at least to her home for the holidays.”

“All of us?” Lovett asks, face gone pale. Tommy nods. 

“I wrote a long letter to my sister. The one to my parents was… basic, simple. But I wrote to Taylor a longer letter. I had… told Taylor more… before I left. About how I didn’t want to get married, not to a woman, or how I didn’t feel like my future was in Boston. So, uh. I told her more. About you two…” Tommy trails off, cheeks warm. Jon and Lovett both squeeze his hands. 

“So she invited us for the holidays?” Jon asks, smiling. 

“She has a big house right outside the city, and her husband’s wonderful. She told me her letter that they’re trying for a baby,” Tommy says with a smile, a weight off his shoulders. 

“That’s amazing, Tommy. Doesn’t it snow a lot in Boston in the winter?”

“It does, darling,” Tommy says, letting go of their hands to start eating his food. Lovett makes a disgruntled noise in his throat. Jon laughs. 

“We’ll keep you warm, Lo.”

“Yeah,” Tommy says as Lovett shakes his head, “we’ll keep you warm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come say hi on tumblr @ theotherapps!!


	4. rosie.

i. 

It’s nearly sundown when they arrive at Dan and Howli’s, the sky on fire as the sun disappears behind the mountains. Lovett, up ahead, dismounts first and ties Stardust off to the fence before Tommy’s come to a stop. The front door opens and Kyla appears on the porch. 

“You’re here!” she yells, her hair flying around her face as she runs from the porch to greet them. Lovett snatches her up before she gets too close to the horses, a lesson she still needs reminding of at nine-years-old. 

“We’re here, and you’re going to remember to stay away from the horses! You can say hi to Tommy and Jon when they get down,” Lovett says, hauling Kyla up onto his shoulder. She squeals, kicking her legs slightly, but Lovett shakes his head and keeps her up off the ground. 

Tommy’s there to help Jon dismount, letting Jon land with most of his body weight in Tommy’s hands. They both stare at each other wide eyed, praying the movement wasn’t enough to wake the sleeping child wrapped up against Jon’s chest. 

“Success,” Tommy whispers, touching Jon’s cheek before moving away to help Lovett bring their stuff inside. Dan and Howli are already out on the porch, coming to help. 

While Tommy, Dan, and Lovett work on getting everything inside and upstairs, Howli grabs Jon’s arm and pulls him into her sewing area. 

“How is she?” she asks, hovering a hand over the back of the child’s head. Jon smiles, reaching down to adjust the wraps around his torso. He unbuttons his coat and let’s Howli take it off his shoulders. The temperature difference must be drastic enough to wake toddlers, because Jon feels the shifting before he hears the soft waking noises. 

“Good morning, Rosie,” Jon coos quietly, hands working to undo the fabric around his torso. Howli watches with a smile as Jon’s able to unwrap himself and keep Rosie close to his chest. 

“You’ve gotten quite good at that,” Howli says, taking the wrap from Jon and placing it on the table. It’ll need a good washing before they head back out. 

“It took me long enough,” Jon mumbles, but he doesn’t frown long. Rosie’s arms reach up, her mouth opening in a wide ‘o’ as she yawns. She smacks her lips a few times, blinking slowly, before she looks right up at Jon. 

“Potty,” she says, wiggling enough to make Jon think about putting her down.

“Does someone have to go?” Lovett asks as he rounds the corner, already smiling as Rosie lights up at the sight of him. He takes Rosie from Jon’s arms and kisses Jon on the cheek quick before disappearing with Rosie. 

“He has that dad hearing,” Howli says, watching Lovett disappear with a smile. Jon shakes his head. 

There’s a crib set up in the corner of their room, so Tommy only has to unpack Rosie’s blankets and favorite soft rabbit to make it comfortable for her. Tomorrow, when Dan moves it down the hallway to Kyla’s room, her familiar items will hopefully help Rosie sleep without her dads for the first time in over a year. 

ii.

It’s midday when they finish setting up camp, despite Lovett’s complaining and Jon’s longing glances at the lake. Tommy pretends to look the other way as Jon slips away from the campsite, losing clothes as he goes. A splash breaks the relative silence and Lovett snorts, tying the final knot to hold up the tent and taking a step back. Tommy stands up and moves to stand next to him. 

“Perfect,” Tommy says, nudging Lovett slightly. 

“Last one in the water has to start the fire!”

“Hey!”

They tear off down the embankment, throwing off their clothes as they go. Tommy can hear Jon laughing at them as they stumble and almost fall. Tommy doesn’t know who makes it into the water first but Lovett runs up behind him and tackles him as soon as he's waist deep. 

Underwater, Tommy can hear Lovett and Jon laughing, so he surges forward and wraps his arms around Jons legs, tugging hard. Jon yells as he stumbles, Lovett cackling happily. When Tommy finally comes up for air, he’s met with the wet faces of the people he loves the most. There’s a moment where he thinks they’re going to tackle him, gang up and over power him. But then Jon smiles, that almost dopey smile Tommy loves so much, and Lovett laughs, that happy one that makes Tommys stomach swoop, and they wrap their arms around each other tight.

Cleaning off in the lake after a full day of riding calms them down, settles them into the campsite. When they finally get out, the sun’s beginning to set and the wind is picking up. Their fingers and toes are wrinkled from the water, so they quickly dry off and put on dry, clean clothes. 

Forgoing the fire, they stay inside the tent after getting dressed, laying down on their sleeping mat. Lovett tackles Tommy to the bed, spreading out on Tommy’s chest and refusing to move. Jon, laughing at them softly, grabs the large blanket his mother made them for Christmas. It’s thick and sturdy, large enough to wrap around all three of them with room to spare. 

“The stars are the top of the blanket,” Lovett says, looking up from where his head is resting against Tommy’s chest. Jon rolls his eyes but does nothing to rectify the situation, even as Lovett tries to shift the blanket without lifting his head. 

“There is no top of the blanket,” Tommy mumbles as he grabs Lovett’s hands, twining their fingers together to stop Lovett. Jon settles on Tommy’s other side, his head settling on Tommy’s shoulder, and they are quiet for a moment. 

Tommy runs his fingers soothingly along Lovett’s spine until his muscles relax and he lets out a deep sigh. Jon’s already lax against him, eyes closed and breathing even. Jon has the remarkable ability to fall asleep almost as soon as his head hits a soft surface. 

“It feels weird.”

“I know.”

Tommy hums in agreement but doesn’t speak.

“Can you believe we’ve been parents for a whole year?” Jon asks softly, and when Tommy looks at him, his eyes are open and a tad dreamy. Lovett snorts. 

“We were struggling for a couple months, and then we became parents,” he clarifies, counting off the months on his fingers. Tommy shakes his head. 

“Isn’t struggling part of being a new parent?”

“Don’t use your logic on me,” Lovett bites out, but he’s laughing despite himself. When he tries to pull a mad face at Jon it doesn’t work, and they dissolve into giggles on Tommy’s chest. 

“I think we’ve done alright,” Tommy says as they calm down. Jon pats his chest in the search for Lovett’s hand. 

“We could’ve done worse.”

“Shut up, Lo.”

iii. 

The rain lasts all of ten minutes, but it forces them into the tent and away from their various relaxing activities. Lovett was reading a book. Tommy was slowly working on a new dress for Rosie. Jon was asleep with his head in Lovett’s lap. 

Tommy’s lips are on a steady path down Lovett’s chest, one hand clasped loosely around Lovett’s wrist against the bedroll. The blanket’s thrown aside, bundled up somewhere by Jon’s feet. It’s a warm day, despite the rain, and the tent’s only going to become warmer as they continue. 

Lovett makes a choked off noise in the back of his throat and Tommy looks up, catches the shiver that runs down Lovett’s body as Jon starts to suck on his neck. Lovett has his free hand tangled in Jon’s hair, but he doesn’t move Jon’s lips from his neck. Instead, he tilts his head to the side, back arching a little. His hips shift and Tommy ends up settled between his legs. 

Not that he minds. 

Attaching his lips to Lovett’s hips, he continues leaving warm marks on Lovett’s skin. Every time he sucks a little too hard, Lovett whines and moves his hand. If he wanted Tommy to stop, he’d say so, but he’s never asked. He likes the small reminders of a good time, the teeth marks on his inner thigh. Tommy sets up camp there, pressing kisses to Lovett’s sensitive skin, until Lovett nearly sobs. 

“_Tommy,_” he whines, his voice cracking. Jon’s moved, playing with Lovett’s nipples. His face is red, eyes shut tight. 

“Yes, darling?” he drawls, placing his free hand flat on Lovett’s stomach, fingers playing with the little line of hair leading down to his dick. 

“Don’t play coy,” Lovett gasps, opening his eyes for a second to glare at him. Tommy shrugs, bringing his hand down to cup Lovett’s balls. “Oh, _ fuck_.”

Tommy grins at that, catching Jon’s eye to wink. 

He stops playing after that, placing his hands on Lovett’s hips and holding them down as he places his tongue against the base of Lovett’s dick and licks up. Lovett’s hips try to move, strain against Tommy’s hands, and he lets out a string of curse words as Tommy sucks the tip into his mouth. 

“Oh god,” Jon groans, and Tommy doesn’t have to look to know they’re both watching him. Lovett’s so keyed up Tommy could do a terrible job and still make Lovett come. But he’s not about doing anything half assed, so he reaches down again, this time going past Lovett’s balls toward his ass. 

“_Tommy!_” Lovett gasps, warmth coating Tommy’s tongue. He can’t smile with his mouth, so he settles for looking up and winking at Lovett as he pants and squirms. 

In the corner of his eye, he sees that Lovett’s let go of Jon’s hair and has grabbed another part of his anatomy. Tommy almost loses his rhythm as he watches Lovett’s hand move along Jon’s dick, slicking him up and keeping the pace slow. Jon shifts up, giving Lovett a better angle. It also means their lips can touch, and Jon cups Lovett’s face in his hands and kisses him soundly. 

Between Tommy’s actions and Jon sticking his tongue down Lovett’s throat, it only takes another minute for Lovett to come, gasping into Jon’s mouth as he spills into Tommy’s. Letting go of Lovett’s hips, Tommy reaches over and places a hand on Jon’s ass, squeezing, and then Jon’s coming all over Lovett’s hand. 

“Come up here, _ mavourneen, _ please,” Lovett gasps as Jon flops onto his back. Tommy wipes off his mouth with the back of his hand and crawls up to hover above Lovett, propped up on his hands. “Down here, please.”

He settles, right into Lovett’s arms, his mouth demanding and wet. Jon rolls over and runs a single finger down Tommy’s back, dipping between his cheeks. Tommy jolts, pulling back from kissing Lovett to drop his head into his neck. 

“Do it again,” Lovett says, and Jon dips his finger in farther, rubbing slightly. Tommy’s entire body shakes and he makes a high pitched noise. Lovett gets an arm between their bodies and finds Tommy’s dick, still hard and slightly wet. 

“There you go,” Jon whispers, kissing Tommy’s shoulder. He’s still rubbing against Tommy’s hole, and even though it’s dry, it’s driving Tommy crazy. “Come on, Tom. Take such good care of us.”

Tommy sobs, maybe saying something, but he can’t tell. Jon tangles a free hand in his hair and Lovett kisses any skin his mouth can reach and Tommy’s coming with a shout muffled in Lovett’s shoulder, his body shaking. 

“We got you,” Lovett whispers in his ear as Tommy rolls off Lovett and against Jon’s chest. Eyes still shut, he reaches out for Lovett’s hand. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

Tommy smiles as he opens his eyes, greeted by Lovett’s smiling face. Jon’s leaning over his shoulder, warm against Tommy’s back. 

“I love you,” Tommy touches Lovett’s face, turns his head against Jons, “and I love you.”

“It’s always the rain,” Jon mumbles, kissing the side of Tommy’s head. Lovett chuckles, turning over and curling into Tommy’s chest. 

“We were all clean,” Lovett mumbles, poking at the flakes on Tommy’s stomach. “We need to jump in the lake again.”

“Like that’s a hardship,” Tommy laughs, sinking further into Jon’s embrace. 

“It requires moving,” Lovett says, somehow getting closer to Tommy, their skin sticking together. Tommy wraps an arm around Lovett’s waist and holds him tight. 

“Oh, that is a hardship.”

“I told you so.”

No one makes any effort to move, so they remain curled around each other, skin sticking together in the warmth of the afternoon. Jon’s breathing evens out against Tommy’s ear, though his lips press kisses to Tommy’s skin randomly. Lovett’s face is half hidden against Tommy’s chest, giving Tommy a perfect view of his wild curls. They’re longer than normal, as they make Rosie squeal with delight when Lovett lets her pull on them. The mental image makes Tommy grin and reach up to touch Lovett’s hair. Against his chest, Lovett hums softly. 

“We can’t fall asleep without cleaning off.”

Lovett and Tommy look at each other, chuckling softly. Jon shifts and looks over Tommy’s shoulder at them. 

“We can’t clean the bedroll until we’re back to Dan and Howli’s.”

“Yes, _ acushla,_” Lovett says softly, his eyes squinty as he kisses Jon on the cheek. “We’ll get up and get cleaned. And then it’s Tommy’s turn to start the fire.”

Jon’s happy smile is enough motivation for Tommy to push himself up and out of the tent towards the water. 

iv.

Leaving their little campsite behind is hard, and they spend a good deal of time sitting on a log together at the edge of the water and taking in the sights. When Lovett’s finally too antsy to ignore, they get on their horses and head out. 

Lovett leads the way, map folded and carefully followed. He’s honed his map skills over the years, and has been working on making maps of all the places they go for years. Tommy’s still learning, so he rides abreast with Lovett and lets him explain. 

When Dan’s property finally comes into view, Tommy feels his stomach swoop in excitement. As they get closer, they’re able to see Dan out behind the house, straw hat on. Kyla’s with him, running around the small patch they use for crops. She spots them first. 

“They’re back!” she screams, taking off like a shot. Lovett dismounts first and catches her like always, laughing as she squeals with delight. “You’re back, you’re back!”

“We’re back and you still don’t understand horses!” Lovett says, grabbing his reins and walking the final distance to the house. 

Jon and Tommy dismount and tie their horses off to the house, shaking out their legs and grabbing their packs. They throw their stuff up onto the porch, to deal with later, and quickly help Lovett tie off Stardust. When the horses are tied up, Kyla’s let back onto the ground. 

“I’ll grab them some water pails!” she says excitedly, disappearing around the house. 

Jon, Tommy, and Lovett follow her, smiling when Howli comes into view. In her lap, chewing away on what looks to be a carrot, is Rosie. She’s wearing one of the dresses Howli’s made her and her soft brown hair is pulled back from her face. When Howli looks their way, so does Rosie. Her face lights up when she sees them. 

“Dada!” she yells, hurrying to get out of Howli’s arms. She struggles a bit, her dress flying up in the breeze, but she pushes it down and stumbles over to them, falling right into Tommy’s waiting hands. 

“Hi, sweetpea,” Tommy says as he lifts her into his arms, Jon and Lovett crowding around her. Jon kisses her hair and Lovett pokes her face, making her giggle. 

“Oh, we missed you, _ asthore_, little treasure,” Lovett coos at her, blowing a raspberry on her cheek. She squeals, reaching out and patting his cheeks. 

“Pa,” she says, still patting Lovett’s cheeks. He smiles at her, grabbing her little hands and holding them gently. 

“That’s right, Papa.”

“She’s getting better at that,” Howli says as she walks over, smiling when Rosie turns in Tommy’s arms and reaches out for Jon, who takes her with a smile. She kisses his cheek and then tucks herself under his chin. 

“Knowing which of us is which word?” Lovett asks, still standing close to Tommy. Neither of them want to move far from Jon and Rosie. 

“Talking,” Howli says, smiling at Rosie. “Rosie, honey. Can you tell your dad’s what we taught you?”

Rosie looks at Howli, her tiny brow knit in confusion. Kyla walks over and taps on Rosie’s leg to get her attention. 

“Remember, what we say to people?” Kyla says, and Rosie perks up. She sits up in Jon’s arms and looks at him quite seriously for a two-year-old. 

“Dada,” she says, and Jon nods at her. “I lovf you.”

“Oh?” Jon says, and Tommy sees the wetness in his eyes. He steps in closer, placing a hand on Jon’s back. Lovett’s resting his cheek against Jon’s other shoulder. 

“Yeah.” Rosie turns to look at Tommy, just as serious. “I lovf you!”

“I love you too, sweetpea,” he replies and she giggles. Turning her head to look at Lovett, she gets serious again. 

“Let me guess,” Lovett says, but Rosie reaches up to cover his mouth with her hand. Jon and Tommy bite their lips to keep from laughing. 

“No! Papa, I lovf you!”

“I love you very much,” Lovett replies, taking her hands away and kissing her nose. 

“When did you teach her this?” Tommy asks Kyla as Rosie tries to lean forward in Jon’s arms and kiss Lovett’s face. 

“She started to repeat it when I said it to Daddy! So I told her she had to say it to her dads, because you say it to people you love,” Kyla explains, hands on her hips. “At first she said she didn’t love you, which I knew was false. She cried the first day you were gone!”

“She was wonderful after that,” Howli says, placing a hand on Kyla’s head. Kyla nods. 

“Wonderful! The best baby sister I could ask for!”

Rosie starts to wiggle, so Jon sets her down on the ground. She grabs onto Kyla’s hand and they’re off, walking across the field to where Dan’s working. He waves at them when they look over at him. 

“Was she actually wonderful, or are you just saying that?” Lovett asks Howli, who grins. 

“You’d be surprised how much of an influence you don’t have yet over her,” Howli jokes, elbowing Lovett as he frowns at her. “She’s a miniature Jon right now, I swear. Just like how you were when you were younger. Soft spoken, non-imposing, polite even though she knows very little words. Her and Kyla have been having a blast.”

“I can’t believe my daughter doesn’t have a rebellious streak,” Lovett mumbles, batting Tommy’s hand away as he reaches to pinch Lovett’s side. 

“Just you wait. Because you said that, she’s going to start being a monster,” Jon says, frowning at the very idea. Tommy shakes his head. 

“I don’t think she could ever be a monster,” he pacifies, kissing the side of Jon’s head. Howli snorts at them. 

“Glad to see you enjoyed your little dad-cation.” Howli winks at them, pulling her scarf tighter around her hair as the breeze picks up. “Dan and I were not surprised when you asked us to watch Rosie. When Kyla was old enough to not pee the bed, we had my mom come stay with her and we took a couple days off in the wilderness.”

“From now on, she’s coming with us,” Lovett says, smiling as Kyla and Rosie come running across the field towards them. Kyla slams into her mother's legs, giggling as Howli frets over her. Rosie holds her arms up, big blue eyes staring up at them expectantly. Lovett bends down and picks her up, settling her on his hip. She immediately drops her head to his shoulder. 

“As if we’ll ever be able to leave her behind again,” Jon mumbles from where he’s leaning on Tommy. “She knows how to say ‘I love you’ now. We’re screwed.”

v.

Rosie isn’t the biggest fan of the horses. 

She’s okay when she’s swaddled against someone’s chest, held tight and not able to see the ground below her. But the second they put her on Sunny, arguably the gentlest of their horses, she starts to scream and cry. 

“I think it’s some trauma she can’t express,” Lovett says a week after they return home, holding Rosie’s hand and leading her towards the chickens. Feeding the animals is their nightly ritual, and as soon as Rosie could walk, she joined them. But since she’s scared of the horses (and the cows, which Lovett thinks is less about the cows and more about how they resemble the horses) she only feeds the chickens and pigs. 

“How do we work her through it, is my question,” Jon says as he drops flakes of hay into the horse stalls. The cows moo quietly at the end of the barn, waiting. 

“Start small, probably. Not like on a pony but maybe one of the pigs will let her sit on their back,” Tommy offers, to which Lovett nods. 

“That might be a possibility.”

“And we just… be patient. Who knows what she saw before they found her,” Tommy says, crouching down behind Rosie as she chucks handfuls of chicken feed into the roost area. The chickens duck under the fence and head towards the hut in the corner, where they roost for the night. 

“Poor baby,” Lovett says softly, hand on the back of Rosie’s head. 

When they head inside for the night, Lovett has Tommy put Rosie on his back, and he carries her in like that. She squeals the entire time, eyes bright and mouth wide open. Jon and Tommy follow slowly, laughing as Lovett works on tiring Rosie out for the night. 

She’d come into their life unexpectedly, but not unwanted. Papa had come home one day from town talking about a little girl that had showed up at the church. No one knew where she’d come from, only that someone found her on the steps that morning wrapped up in a couple blankets. Because the church was so remote, and most of the people in the town were drifters, they didn’t know what to do with her.

Ma and Pa went back into town that night and offered to take her. With no one else staking any claim, the church had handed her over with ease. They brought her to Jon, Tommy, and Lovett. 

It’s been over a year, and Lovett swears they’re finally getting the hang of parenting. 

It’s Lovett’s turn to put Rosie to bed, so Jon and Tommy busy themselves with cleaning up the house. They have laundry to do in the morning, so it’s out on the line early and dry by supper. Jon walks around the house and gathers dirty clothes, making a pile in the kitchen. Tommy washes their dishes from supper and sets them on the counter to dry, blowing out lights as he goes. 

When they’re done cleaning, they settle in the sitting room. Tommy’s working on knitting Rosie a hat for the impending winter months, while Jon settles on the opposite end of the settee with a book. From down the hall, they can hear Rosie fighting Lovett. 

When she starts crying, Tommy and Jon look at each other. Putting Rosie down for the night has only become more difficult as she ages and learns more words. Even through a closed bedroom door, Tommy can hear her when she yells. 

“No! Don’t wanna!”

Jon shakes his head, looking down at his book. Tommy waits and listens, hands limp in his lap. 

“At least she yells at all of us. Stays consistent,” Jon mumbles when she yells again. Tommy snorts. 

“Could you imagine if she only yelled at one of us?”

“No, that would suck.”

After a few more minutes, Rosie’s door opens, her cries loud and clear before they’re muffled again. Lovett appears at the end of the hallway, frown on his face. He walks over and smiles when Jon lifts his feet to let Lovett sit on the settee. 

“Let her cry it out?” Jon asks, settling his legs across Lovett’s lap. His toes wiggle under Tommy’s thigh. 

“I’m not going to sit in there and listen to her scream,” Lovett mumbles, massaging Jon’s legs. Tommy nudges Lovett with his elbow, leaning over to kiss the side of his head. 

“You did fine,” Tommy whispers to him, waiting until Lovett nods before moving back to his knitting. 

“Two-year-olds are frustrating,” Lovett says, making Jon and Tommy laugh. 

“Just need a little patience. You’ll miss the two-year-old when she’s thirteen.” Jon reaches up and rests a thumb on Lovett’s cheek, smiling. “When she’s yelling at us in full sentences.”

“I can reason with a thirteen-year-old.”

“No you can’t.”

Lovett groans, letting his head fall back against the settee. Jon laughs, still stroking Lovett’s cheek. Tommy shakes his head at them, smiling. 

vi. 

The flowers in the garden are just beginning to bloom when Rosie makes her first step towards riding a horse. 

Lovett and Jon let the horses out into one of the pens to give them a good spring brushing. They’re all looking a little fuzzy, their winter coats beginning to shed. Tommy gets Rosie up from her nap and brings her outside as they work on Stardust and Scout. 

Rosie doesn’t chat much, likes to sit back and listen to everyone around her talk instead, so Tommy narrates what Jon and Lovett are doing to her as she leans her head against his shoulder. 

“You see Stardust, the horse with the spots on his back? He has a bunch of hair coming off his neck area where Papa hasn’t brushed him recently. And his mane is a mess, so maybe Papa will brush that out too.”

“Like my hair,” Rosie says quietly, reaching up with her free hand to touch her head. Tommy nods, kissing her forehead. 

“Yeah, like your hair. Except a horse's hair isn’t as soft and pretty,” Tommy says, tickling her stomach gently. She giggles, batting his hands away, but doesn’t lift her head. She’s still a little sleepy from her nap, a little more cuddly than usual. Tommy doesn’t mind. 

“Scout, the horse chewing on the rope,” Rosie laughs softly, “is looking almost done. He has some fluff on his stomach that I’m sure Dad will discover soon.”

“Dada’s funny,” she says, pointing to where Jon’s lifting up Scout’s lips to see his teeth. Scout sneezes, causing Jon to jump back slightly. Rosie giggles again. 

“And there’s Sunny, walking over to us. She’s my horse, you know that. I have to brush her next, so maybe Papa or Dad can take you.” Rosie clings to him tighter and Tommy smiles. “Or maybe they’ll be nice enough to brush her off. See her neck there, how it looks fuzzy and funny? That needs to be brushed off. She’ll get too hot with that winter coat as the days get warmer.”

“Will it hurt?” Rosie asks, finally sitting up and looking at Tommy. He shakes his head, moving towards the fence as Sunny stops on the other side. Tommy reaches over and runs his hand along Sunny’s neck, pulling the shedding hair. He holds it up for Rosie to see. “Ew!”

“It is ew, but it feels so good to them. It doesn’t hurt at all,” he explains, scratching Sunny’s neck. Rosie’s quiet as she watches, leaning against Tommy again. 

After a minute or so, Rosie speaks. 

“Touch her hair?”

Tommy looks at her, both of her hands in her hair. She looks pale, a little scared, but there’s a determined line to her mouth and resolve in her eyes. Tommy nods, kissing her forehead. 

“Of course, let me flip it over,” Tommy says, reaching over Sunny’s neck to pull a bit of her mane closer. The horse shifts its weight, and she’s a little closer than before. Her head’s hanging down towards the ground, chewing on some of the grass there. “Here, reach over the fence.”

Rosie places one hand on the fence and uses it to hold herself up as she reaches for Sunny’s neck. Tommy moves so he’s supporting her legs, keeping her still as her fingers catch in Sunny’s mane, moving slowly. She pets a couple times, doing nothing more than feeling the hair. Her eyes are wide, mouth slightly open, but she isn’t tense or crying. 

After a very long moment that feels like forever to Tommy, Rosie laughs suddenly, throwing herself back into Tommy’s arms and giggling some more. She shakes her head, holding up her hand for Tommy to see. 

“It’s hard!” she exclaims, waving her hand like it’s an explanation. 

“It feels weird, huh?” Tommy asks, and she nods. 

“Weir.”

“Weird,” Tommy pronounces slowly, watching as she mouths it to herself. 

“Weir-duh,” Rosie says, making Tommy laugh. 

“Yeah, you got it. It’s weird.”

“Not soft.” Rosie touches her own hair. 

“Not that hair, but her coat is. Want to feel it?”

“No!” Rosie yells, suddenly afraid again, so Tommy takes a step back and holds her close. 

“That’s okay, sweetpea. You were so brave to touch her hair. I’m so proud of you,” Tommy whispers, kissing her forehead again. 

When Jon walks over to grab Sunny, he waves happily to Rosie. She perks up immediately, waving back happily. Tommy walks closer so Jon can reach over and touch her cheek gently. 

“Did you pet Sunny’s hair?” Jon asks as Lovett walks over as well, ducking under Jon’s arm and pulling it tight around his shoulders. Jon kisses the side of Lovett’s head. 

“Yeah,” Rosie says slowly, giggling when Lovett kisses her hand. 

“What was it like?” Lovett asks, smiling wide. Rosie stares off into the distance for a moment before her face lights up. 

“Weird!” she exclaims happily, giggling a little as Jon and Lovett smile with her. 

“Weird!” they say together. She dissolves into another fit of giggles, seemingly unbothered when Scout walks over and sticks his head over the fence to nudge at Tommy. 

They call it a win. 

vii. 

It appears petting Sunny’s hair opens the door wide, because over the course of the next month, they make several significant breakthroughs. 

The main one is Rosie stops being afraid of the cows. One of the cows finally pops and gives birth to the first calf of the season. Lovett, on his watch shift, runs into the house before dawn one morning to wake them up to come see the new baby. Later, when they bring Rosie over, she stares wide-eyed until trying to break free from Jon’s arms to play with it. 

It’s shortly after that she asks to pet the mama cow and the next thing they know, she’s looped a piece of string around the calf’s neck and is leading it around like they do the horses. She stops avoiding feeding the cows and squeals with delight when Jon lifts her up high to throw the flakes of hay over the fence. 

Lovett travels into town one day with some crop to sell and Rosie, after giving him a kiss on the cheek from Jon’s arms, pats Stardust on the neck. 

“Be good!” she says to the horse. Lovett nearly falls out of his saddle. 

At night, she doesn’t shy away from the horse stalls anymore. One night, she even reaches over the door and pets Sunny’s hair again. 

It all comes to a head one afternoon when Tommy gets back from town, Sunny picking up a little speed as they get closer to home. They trot onto the property, Tommy smiling when he sees Jon and Lovett in the garden. Rosie’s standing amongst the beans, hands on her hips as she stares down at the plants. When Jon yells in greeting, Rosie looks up and squeals happily. 

“Daddy!” she takes off like a shot, across the open field towards where Tommy’s dismounting. Lovett’s on his feet in an instant after her, only slowing when Tommy catches her before she gets too close to Sunny’s legs. 

“Hi sweetpea!” Tommy cheers, handing the reins to Lovett when he reaches them. “How are you?”

“The beans are growing!” she says loudly, waving her arm towards the garden. Tommy nods like he understands. 

“How do you know?” he asks, but she’s not listening to him. Her eyes are on Sunny, who’s jerking her head up and down, ready to be untacked. 

“Is Sunny okay?” Rosie asks, eyes wide as Sunny shakes herself before following Lovett towards the fence. Tommy follows them, keeping enough distance to make Rosie feel comfortable. 

“She’s fine, she just wants her saddle taken off,” Tommy says, coming to stand against the fence. Lovett places the bucket of brushes on the ground, leaning in to kiss Rosie’s cheek. 

“She, like you, likes to run around naked,” Lovett teases Rosie, who sticks her tongue out. Jon, from nearby, laughs at them. 

Rosie leans forward in Tommy’s arms, hand stretched towards the saddle. Before Lovett can start untacking, Tommy steps forward and lets Rosie touch the saddle. She kicks her legs a bit, pushing against Tommy. 

“What do you want, sweetheart?” Tommy asks, bouncing Rosie on his hip. She frowns at him, pointing to the saddle. “Do you want to sit?”

Rosie nods and out of the corner of his eye, Tommy sees Lovett waving Jon over. They’re both quiet as Tommy lets Rosie push off him and slide into the saddle, gripping what she can reach of Sunny’s mane. Tommy taps the horn and Rosie puts one hand on that, her body flat against the leather. 

“I’ve got you,” Tommy says, keeping a hand on her back. She doesn’t move, her eyes wide and trained on the back of Sunny’s head. Her eyes shift to Lovett, who has a steadying hand on Sunny’s neck. He smiles at her, nodding his head encouragingly. Jon, leaning against the fence on Sunny’s other side, hasn’t stopped smiling. 

“Do you want to sit up?” Tommy asks her when it’s clear she isn’t going to move on her own. Rosie nods slowly, pushing herself up. She keeps a hand tangled in Sunny’s mane, pulling it a bit, so Tommy finds a piece closer for her to grab. She plants a hand on the saddle, shaking slightly. 

“She won’t move, don’t worry,” Jon says warmly, scratching Sunny’s neck. 

It takes a few minutes, where Tommy’s sure none of them breathe, for the rigidity of Rosie’s shoulders to soften. Her eyes stop shifting from Sunny’s head to her hand in Sunny’s mane. She wiggles, her heels tapping Sunny’s sides, and Tommy reaches out to stop her feet. 

“If you kick, Sunny will think you want to go. So try not to kick her sides,” Tommy explains slowly, watching as Rosie takes it in. She holds her legs tight against the saddle, nodding. Not looking down, Rosie looks around. She smiles when she sees that Jon and Lovett are watching her, both waving happily at her. 

“Look at you go,” Lovett says, joining Tommy at Rosie’s side. “Do you to go for a walk up there?”

Rosie nods, but when Tommy steps back to let Lovett begin, she starts to whine. 

“Daddy,” she says sharply, looking over at him fearfully. Tommy steps closer to Sunny again, letting Rosie grab his hand. 

“Do you want me to stay with you?” he asks, and she nods. 

“Please.”

And so they walk, Lovett keeping Sunny at a very slow walk in a wide circle and Tommy keeping a steadying hand on Rosie’s back. Jon waves at Rosie everytime she looks his way, pulling silly faces to make her giggle. When they finally loop back to where Jon is standing, Rosie reaches for him. As Lovett loops Sunny’s lead around the fence post again, Rosie curls up under Jon’s chin. 

“You did so good, sweetheart,” Jon murmurs in her ear, rubbing her back. He kisses the top of her head. “So very brave to get up on Sunny.”

“Sunny’s nice,” Rosie says quietly, pulling at a piece of thread on Jon’s shirt. 

Tommy unclinches the saddle and finally pulls it off Sunny’s back, he and Lovett stepping back as she shakes herself off. Rosie and Jon continue talking quietly as Tommy separates the pieces of his saddle and Lovett digs through the bucket for the right brush. Tommy’s hanging stuff on the fence when Jon speaks louder than a mumble. 

“Lo, can you pass us the soft brush?” Jon asks. Lovett digs it out, passing it under Sunny’s neck. Tommy pauses from scrubbing hair off the saddle pad and watches Rosie begin to brush Sunny, her face breaking into a smile. Jon catches Tommy’s eye and they smile at each other. 

viii. 

Lovett’s warm against Tommy’s chest as the rain continues outside, keeping them inside despite the time of day. They’d finished feeding and letting the animals out just before the rain had started, driving them inside and inevitably back into bed. Lovett had pushed his way into the middle, having been drenched with rain and chilled to the bone. 

“I guess Rosie’s spending another day with Grandma,” Jon mumbles as he curls up against Lovett’s back, his arm wrapping around Lovett’s waist and resting against Tommy’s stomach. Lovett nods but doesn’t open his eyes. Tommy smiles at Jon. 

“Your mom’s been trying to teach Rosie a bunch of new words, but you know how Rosie is.”

“Stubborn.”

“Quiet.”

“Yeah,” Tommy laughs, kissing Lovett’s forehead. 

“She’s also two,” Lovett reminds them. “She’s almost three.”

“How is she already older?” 

“So there’s this concept of time, Jon,” Lovett starts, laughing as Jon tickles his sides. Tommy rolls out of their way as they start trying to tickle each other, kicking the blankets down. 

“Hey, it’s cold!” Tommy laughs, trying in vain to get the blankets back up over his body. Lovett and Jon, in a tangle of limbs, look over at Tommy. They’re wearing the same mischievous expression, and Tommy isn’t surprised when they pounce on him, covering him with their bodies. 

“Sorry, Tom,” Jon says as they pull the blanket up again, cuddling in again. Lovett tucks his head under Tommy’s chin and hums softly, wrapping his limbs around Tommy. Jon tucks the blanket around them tight before settling, kissing Lovett’s arms and Tommy’s chest as he does. 

They’re quiet again, warm and real against Tommy’s chest. Lovett’s nodding off, tired from being the first up to feed and drenched in rain. His skin is still somewhat cold, but he’s warming up against Tommy and under the blankets. Tommy knows once he’s almost overheated, he’ll fall asleep. If they’re lucky, he won’t kick blankets off in his sleep. 

Jon’s eyes are open and slowly moving over Lovett’s face. He shifts, the stubble of his beard dragging across Tommy’s shirt, and pulls an arm out of the blankets. It settles across Tommy’s chest and his fingers rest, gentle, on Lovett’s cheek. He moves them slowly, in small circles, a movement Tommy’s seen him do while Lovett’s awake, a calming motion between them. A remnant of their life before Tommy. 

But then Jon moves again, and his hand comes to rest on Tommy’s cheekbone. The palms of his hands are rough, covered in calluses that Jon tries to remedy all winter long with salve. But his fingers are soft, gentle, and move in slow circles. Jon's eyes shift, as does his head again, and when he blinks, he’s gazing up at Tommy. His lips twitch, the gap between his front teeth barely visible as he speaks. 

“Do you know what today is?” 

Tommy shakes his head. He’s not sure he knows what day of the week it is at the moment; his entire world shrunk to the size of their bed. 

“No.”

Lovett shifts, sniffling softly, and Tommy brings his hand off Lovett’s back to tangle in his curls. Jon keeps drawing circles on Tommy’s warm cheeks. 

“If Lovett keeps track of our schedule as accurately as he says he does -“

“You know I do,” Lovett whispers, his eyes still closed. He rubs his nose against Jons arm. 

“-then today should mark five years since you decided to stay.”

Tommys brows pinch as he thinks back to his first few months out on the range. After a moment, Jon takes pity and rests his hand against Tommy’s cheek. 

“We were standing in the river,” Jon begins, and something sticks in Tommy’s throat. “And Lo and I were worried about you, because you’d mentioned staying, and you didn’t seem to have any judgement against Lo and I.”

“Plus, we thought you were quite handsome.”

“And that,” Jon laughs quietly, his thumb caressing Tommy’s face. “And that. Anyway, you walked on over with this look on your face and said you wanted to stay how we hoped you wanted to stay. With us, as -“

“Partners,” Lovett giggles to himself. Tommy presses his thumb into his neck. 

“Whatever. But you told us you felt it too.”

“Oh.”

“Five years ago you made the worst decision of your life.”

“Lovett,” Jon sighs, pinching his cheeks. He opens one sleepy eye, grinning. 

“It’s too early to be this sappy, _ acushla, _” Lovett mumbles. Jon’s eyes soften. 

“I’ve been out here five years,” Tommy sighs, eyes going hazy as he stares at the ceiling. Lovetts head moves under his hand and when Tommy looks, his cheek is smushed against Tommy’s shirt and he’s smiling. 

“How do you feel?”

Tommy’s breath catches in his throat again, eyes following Jon’s hand as it reaches for Lovett’s face. Lovett turns his head enough to kiss Tommy’s shirt. 

“Loved,” he whispers. 

ix.

Kyla squeals as she follows Rosie into the garden towards the flowers, their hands clasped. Rosie’s wearing an old dress of Kyla’s and they almost look like sisters. 

Lovett follows behind them, his straw hat pulled low over his head as he walks. They know better than to pick flowers without asking, but they’re also a terror together. 

Tommy’s laid out in the grass at the edge of the garden patch, feet crossed and hat over his face. Dan and Howli are helping Jon fix some of the stalls in the barn, and Tommy’s taking a break from fixing the fences. 

From inside the flowers, Tommy hears Kyla and Rosie giggling. And then, the sound of something breaking. He lifts his hat off his head just as Lovett finds them. 

“What are you two doing?” he asks, visible over the plants. He looks like he wants to smile, that familiar quiver in his jaw as he forces himself to keep a straight face. Tommy turns over to watch. 

“We wanted to pick a flower!” Kyla protests, immediately on the defense. Tommy can just see the top of her head. He’s sure she has her hands on her hips, a behavior Rosie has picked up. 

“The flower isn’t ready to be picked, see? It’s not in full bloom,” Lovett explains, holding the flower between his fingers. 

“Which one can we pick then?” Kyla asks.

“Yeah,” Rosie says, and Tommy snorts. He smirks when Lovett glares at him. 

“We have to wait another couple of days,” Lovett says, shaking his head as they protest. “Kyla Pffeifer, do you want to be a cowboy or not?”

“Yes,” Kyla says automatically. Tommy smirks, knowing Lovett’s about to win this little argument. 

“And what are the cowboy rules?”

“Number one is be rootin’. Number two is be tootin’.”

“Eat your beans.” Lovett winks and the girls giggle. 

“Number three is, if you gotta, be shootin’.” 

“We are pacifists.”

“And number four is, above all else, be kind,” Kyla recites. Lovett smiles. 

“There’s one more.”

“What?” Kyla gasps, forgetting all about the flowers. Tommy smiles as Lovett winks at him. 

“Number five is be patient. Some things just take time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that, my friends, is the end of this little story. 
> 
> massive shoutout to everyone who has encouraged me and loved this fic as much as i have, especially those in the discord. Leah especially, your love of cowboys rivals mine. 
> 
> i’ll miss these boys. thanks for coming along with me into this universe. 
> 
> comments are so greatly appreciated. :)
> 
> find me on tumblr @ theotherapps

**Author's Note:**

> remember y'all, be kind.


End file.
